A/N: Hey everyone. My apologies for the delay with this chapter, I had planned on a posting last week but things just weren't working and I had to pretty much start from scratch. I was also trying to figure out at exactly what point I'm going to end this story, and it looks as if I'll probably continue for another six chapters or so (after this one). Everything AFTER the wedding will be written in an entirely separate story. That being said, if you guys have any ideas for things I could include in future chapters, no matter how small, (even if it's just like…Tony and Michelle paint the kitchen…), I'd really like to hear it. I've been trying to incorporate as many of your suggestions as I could (without deviating from the plot and outline I laid out too much) and I'd really appreciate the input)...
Okay, so I'll stop rambling now… Thanks a million for all the reviews; you guys are the best. Enjoy…
Chapter Twenty-Four – Disclosure
Tony had never been big on the whole 'Valentine's Day scam". What man was really? It was an excuse for Hallmark to sell a couple of million cards promising a life of eternal love and romance that would be in the trash can two weeks later...
Besides, he didn't need a card to promise him that. He had the real deal.
Which was why, on Saturday, February 14th, Tony's one and only entire day to himself for at least another two weeks, he'd braved the hoards of forgetful husbands and boyfriends despite his better judgment to buy groceries and make dinner for his fiancé.
It wasn't anything out of the ordinary; Michelle would be hungry when she came home from work. That he'd decided to prepare a nice, exceptional meal for her on his day off when there were a thousand other things he could and probably should be doing... was simply coincidence. Even if it did fall on Valentine's day…
Yeah, tell yourself that if it makes you feel better…his conscience grumbled as he grabbed a bag of shrimp and tossed it in the buggy.
You just wanna see how excited she gets when she comes home tonight. There's no difference between you, and every other guy here…
He smirked slightly pushing past the isle of cards and watching frantic man after frantic man reach past each other.
At least she doesn't expect it…
Michelle leaned forward in her chair and crossed her legs, a hand resting lightly underneath her chin in polite attentiveness. Jack sat beside her, arms folded, eyes fixated on the monitor in front of them where the liaison from Langley spoke. Every few minutes though, his gaze would shift slightly towards Michelle, before turning back to the screen. A few times she caught him; but said nothing. Finally when the conference call had ended, his eyes met hers one final time and she raised a puzzled eyebrow.
"Jack…Is everything okay?"
His brow furrowed slightly.
"Actually I need your help with something."
She looked a little confused.
"Sure…what do you need?"
"Just uh…I'm just working on that paperwork for Division; come up when you have a sec." he was fumbling a little with the documents he was holding, and there was an awkwardness present that Michelle had never seen before.
She nodded, still a little confused, and gave him a half smile.
"No problem."
Legs throbbing, Tony continued to the pound the pavement hard as he ran through the slightly empty streets in the fading light. Michelle would be home in a few hours; and he was glad for this. He'd missed her. Michelle at CTU all day without him seemed like an eternity. More than anything he loved working with her. Even on days when he was convinced he'd never last, he managed to tap into some reservoir of unknown motivation, simply because she always seemed to find a way to make it to the end.
Tony bit his lip as he reminded himself he was probably as much of the reason she made it to the end of the day as well. And despite the odd spat or argument that made an appearance every now and then; Tony wouldn't trade days in the office with her for anything. He loved it.
After returning home he managed the finishing touches on the dinner before making his way into the shower...Michelle had forgotten; he was convinced of this now. Terrorist activity in different cells around the globe had spiked in the last few days and the threat level had been elevated. Nothing had amounted from any of it, but CTU had been processing Intel without much time for a breather. Everyone was stressed; Jack had led numerous field operations in hopes of apprehending various suspects, and Tony had been present at more interrogations than he cared to count with each new prisoner brought in. That, of course, left Michelle running everything on the floor between both Field Ops and Tactical. They were all stressed and truth be told, if today hadn't been Tony's day off he too would've forgotten the significance of the occasion. There was no way Michelle had remembered and he was glad for this; her face when she finally did come home would be priceless.
"Jack..." Michelle rapped lightly on his door before entering.
He looked irritated.
"Have a seat Michelle; I'm just going over these case files." he indicated to the hoards of paper overcrowding his desk.
"Did you want me to work something up?" she asked, leaning over the documents.
Jack shook his head.
"No actually, everything's back to normal from the looks of it...This is about something else."
He rose from his chair and pulled out a rather large shopping back from the cupboard. Michelle's eyes widened slightly and he massaged his brow sheepishly.
"My daughter went away with friends for the weekend and I wasn't sure who else to ask..."
He placed the bag on the desk and removed two plush articles. One, a light blue knit sweater, the other a pale pink two-piece cardigan set.
Michelle chewed on the corner of her mouth to keep from grinning.
"It's for Kate." he stated obviously. "Normally I'd ask Kim but well...I thought maybe you could help."
Michelle picked up each article and examined it closely for a few seconds, before re-folding it and placing it back on Jack's desk.
"I got this necklace too..." he said, pulling out a small velvet box, leaving her to examine that as well.
Carefully, Michelle held up the jewelry and compared them again.
"Which one do you like?" she asked, studying them carefully.
Jack shrugged. "I always liked blue."
She smiled, and rested the necklace against the sweater. "Go with the blue."
He looked relieved.
"Thanks...I've always been uh...pretty bad at shopping..." he began putting everything away, and Michelle laughed.
"Kate's birthday?"
Jack looked a little puzzled. "No it's uh...it's Valentine's day..."
Michelle's face fell at the mention of the holiday.
"Right...that's today…"
With a quick glance at her watch, Michelle's felt even more sickened. It was already well past five, not nearly enough time for her to cut out early to go shopping or even plan something.
"Listen Jack I'm gonna get back to those updates Langley sent us..." she stuttered, and fumbled out of the chair.
"Yeah, sure...you alright?"
She waved it off.
"Oh yeah; fine…Just um...let me know if Kate likes it."
"Okay." he nodded and smiled slightly. "Thanks again, Michelle."
"No problem." she swallowed hard and gave him a feeble smile that looked a lot more like a wince, before flouncing out the door.
Tony pulled on a fresh shirt, buttoning it over his jeans, before running his fingers through his slightly damp hair. Her favourite shirt; combined with her favourite cologne, (the one he always caught her closing eyes and sighing at when she hugged him); were part of his plan in simultaneously worshiping and seducing his lovely fiancé after a day in the office without him.
Michelle's was sitting at a red light, panicking slightly at what might happen when she got home; when her phone rang.
"Dessler."
"Hey, what's up?"
Michelle almost let out a gasp of relief before congratulating Alicia on her impeccable sense of timing.
"Just got off work. I'm heading home now."
Alicia heard the anxiety in her voice.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah I just..." saying the words out loud made her feel even worse. "I forgot it was Valentine's day..."
"Oh Michelle..." Alicia laughed. "How do you forget Valentine's day?"
"I don't even know...I mean it's not a big deal I guess but I can't believe I forgot..." she groaned.
"Well look on the bright side...If you forgot, Tony probably did too..."
Michelle groaned even louder.
"Yeah…right..."
"Well then...put on something cute, light a few candles, spritz on a little perfume...he won't even know the difference."
Michelle laughed and relaxed a little. She had an excuse for forgetting anyway; they'd both been working like dogs since the beginning of the month. She'd absolutely murder Tony if he spent his long overdue day off planning something for them...for you; her conscience decided to emphasize, and elevate the potential guilt she'd be feeling even more.
"I have a date." Alicia spat out suddenly.
Michelle's ears perked up. "Oh really...does that mean I get to tease you now?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way...Although my story's not quite as juicy as yours was..."
"Alright, let's have it."
Alicia erupted into a long-winded tale of a client she'd met a few months earlier. Alicia proudly affirmed that she had been insistent on not mixing business with pleasure. Therefore, when the business part of their relationship had ended, he'd called her up, asking for a date.
"That's sweet." Michelle decided as she parked the car.
"We'll see what happens..."
"Feeling lucky?" she joked, grabbing her purse and entering the building.
"Always..." Alicia giggled. "I'll let you know how it goes."
"Have fun."
Tony heard the door close as he placed the now-chilled bottle of wine on the table that had just been set. The clicking of heels echoed from the hallway and grew more prominent, and then stopped suddenly.
Tony turned around in time to see Michelle cover her mouth in embarrassment at the site before her.
"I'm sorry." She said when he grinned knowingly.
"I completely forgot …"
He laughed.
"Forgot what? I just made us dinner…" he teased in all-seriousness, pretending to be completely unaware as to what she was referring to.
"I'm sorry." She tried again, wondering if there had ever been an occasion in the history of the holiday when the woman was the one who ended up overlooking it.
He shook his head, still grinning, and reached out an arm, wrapping it around her waist and pulling their bodies close together.
"I had a day to kill."
"You shouldn't have spent it doing this..."
"Mhm...You'll make it worth my while..." He assured her lips, before smothering them.
Smiling back, she brought a hand to his cheek, running the back of her finger across it gently.
"I will, huh?" she teased with a soft giggle, relishing in the subtle scent of her cologne and breathing deeply…
He chuckled and nuzzled against her neck.
"Uh huh..." he mumbled against her skin; capturing her lips one more time before seating her at the table.
Michelle delighted in complimenting him over and over again on how good everything was; and began feeling a little flushed when, just before the last dishes has been cleared away, he scooped up her hand and kissed it firmly; his eyes clouded with salacity, affection and all of the above. She found herself trying to look away as she got up to make tea, unnerved, and little shy of the look he wore while she did so. It was the look that left no doubt as to its meaning, and she knew that…The butterflies in the pit of her stomach began to stir as she turned her back to him for the time being, already feverously anticipating what the rest of the night had in store.
"Thank you for dinner." She said, scooting beside him on the couch and leaning in for a brief kiss. As she settled back against the armrest, teacup in hand, he draped her legs across his lap.
While Michelle finished her tea, they gently conversed over the state of affairs CTU had been in at the end of the day. Eventually, she placed her emptied mug on the table and edged a little closer to Tony, tugging at the front of his shirt and pulling his mouth towards her again. His free arm snaked around her hips, lifting her further into his lap, while his lips trailed across her cheek and downwards towards her neck. The hand that had been gently rubbing her legs maneuvered its way underneath her skirt, back up the bared skin of her inner thigh, tickling the already sensitive regions; before coming to rest against the smooth satin barrier separating his fingers from her with mere millimeters of fabric.
"Damn it, Tony..." she wheezed, as he continued taunt her, running the tips of his fingers mercilessly slowly across the seamless impediment. Her pulse had long since surpassed normal, and her cheeks were already beginning to feel hot. Adjusting her weight, Michelle wrapped a leg around either side of his hips, clenching and releasing as she moved up and down against him. The arm that had been locked tightly around her own waist, slid up the back of her blouse, thoroughly caressing her stomach and shoulders and every inch of skin in between.
The tension associate with the moment was suddenly eased when he began speckling kisses against her slightly exposed collarbone. She squealed with laughter.
"Stop...Tony..." she giggled; forgetting her gentle grindings and rolling over on the couch.
He pinched her side, relishing in the increased frequency of her meager protests and involuntary shrieks
"Stop!" she tried swatting his hand away pointlessly, watching both arms encircle her tightly, before moving them quickly down the hall.
He finally returned her to the ground, pressing her up against the wall and grinning. Her breathing leveled and she adjusted her twisted blouse before brushing hair out of her face. Tony laughed softly before leaning in for another kiss.
"I told you you'd make it worth my while."
She laughed again as he steered them into the bedroom.
The minutes flew by leaving the current world behind; and playful teasing and gestures, transformed into soft endearments and painstakingly slow touches to every intimate cranny and crevice. Moans and heavy breathing soon replaced coherent phrases and laughter as each seemed to be devoting as much time as possible to steering the other closer and closer to sweet release.
All went quiet as he entered her, save for the sharp gasp Michelle elicited at the point of contact. Tony's voice caught in his own throat at this, feeling both his muscles and hers clench as they began to move and nails raked gently across his shoulders.
She was close, he could feel it.
"Oh god…" she sputtered, making him groan even louder as the thrusts became harder and her nails dug deeper.
Her lips latched on to his neck as his hands held her body tightly against his, increasing her awareness of every movement that much more.
"Almost…" she assured, finding his mouth again, and knowing he'd probably figured as much out by the way she kept shivering and her eyes closed in a combination of pain and ecstasy.
He grunted before leaning down and brushing his lips across her flushed forehead, slowing the pace for a few seconds in an attempt to make the moment last as long as he possibly could.
Michelle beamed up at him with a slightly-lopsided punch drunk smile; knowing exactly what his intentions were and sealing her lips around his once more as they resumed their rhythm and finally tumbled over the edge together.
His head remained nuzzled in her chest for a few moments while caring fingers ran through his sweaty hair and over heated cheeks. Finally, breath caught, he disengaged himself and rolled back over to his side of the bed.
At that moment, he wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to pour out every tiny little detail that he adored about her and explain exactly how much he treasured each and every second they spent together…And that he loved that she still drove him absolutely crazy with the subtlest gestures, and that her lips and skin still tasted as sweet and addictive as they had the very first time; and he could barely contain himself from touching every inch of her at least a thousand times a day.
"You alright?" she asked, catching him watching her carefully. He rolled over on his side and scooted closer, tipping her chin back towards his.
"You're gorgeous." He told her, before planting a tender kiss against her mouth, cheeks, and forehead.
She sighed happily, feeling slightly drugged from the intense lovemaking and grateful she had no reason to get out of bed for the time being; convinced her muscles wouldn't support her either way.
She kissed him again, lightly, before moving towards his neck and kissing the same familiar spots over and over again.
Her teeth nibbled the spot behind his ear whilst whispering sweet nothings into the wet mark left by her lips and tongue.
They lay kissing for a long time afterwards, entirely too content to think of anything but the here and now.
It was just over an hour later when Michelle scooped up Tony's shirt and buttoned it over herself. He could fight her for it back in the morning; tonight it was hers for the taking. She sauntered into the bathroom, cheeks still pink from exertion, and began brushing her teeth.
By the time she was finished washing her face, Tony had reappeared in the doorway, his arms folded. Through the mirror, Michelle caught him starring at her.
"What's your problem Almeida?" she snapped briskly, in such a good imitation of Chappelle that Tony practically jumped.
With a chuckle, followed by a small smirk, he closed the space between them and linking his arms over her hips, burrowing his nose into her shoulder and groaning a little at the silky softness.
"I forgot to tell you something..." he ventured, refusing to remove his mouth from the position against her warm skin.
"What?"
The muscles of his jaw clenched against her as he hesitated.
"What, Tony?" she repeated, pulling away slightly, forcing his cheek to break contact.
"My parents are coming to visit." he sighed heavily, squeezing her hand.
Michelle's eyes widened of their own accord and she squirmed out of his embrace, turning to face him head on.
"When?" she asked, a hell of a lot more nervously than she cared to sound.
"Couple weeks. They wanted to see Amy; she has a break soon. And…y'know…they wanted to meet you."
Michelle leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms defensively around her chest, and fiddled with a few pieces of stray hair.
"So I don't know what you'd rather do…we could go out for dinner or they could come here or-" Tony rambled, knowing full well she was less than pleased at how he'd chosen to break the news to her. Obviously he would never see it as a big deal, but he should know enough to assume that Michelle would. It was a big deal for her.
He did get points for telling her now instead of a couple of days before, Michelle decided with a frown. Really though, there had to be a better way to deliver such a fatal blow.
"Doesn't matter." She told him quickly, not sure which possibility would do the best job of alleviating the stitches of alarm that were already becoming present. Technically, she really shouldn't be worried; all forms of logic told her so. It wasn't as if Tony would suddenly decide to break off the engagement because his parents weren't her biggest fans…but still. It was important that they like her, she would be related to them soon…
"It's not a big deal Michelle." Tony assured her lamely.
"I know…but…"
He reached out a hand and brushed his thumb back and forth across her cheek a few times.
She smiled half-heartedly.
"You're gonna have to do this eventually."
She remained silent, for many minutes, while Tony's fingers continued to toy with curls. She stared at the wall, completely oblivious to what was happening.
"Michelle?" he tried again softly.
She turned back and swallowed a few times before speaking.
"Whatever you want to do, honey." she told him, greatly subdued by the conversation.
Tony kissed her forehead and squeezed tightly before leading them both back to bed.
Two weeks and two days later, Michelle was leaning over the same sink once again, applying her makeup for the evening with Tony's parents. After a few dozen strokes with three different kinds of brushes across her eyes, she curled her lashes and applied mascara over an inordinately slow period of time. She wasn't exactly sure how she wanted to look, and seemed to be aiming for something midway between the unruffled, poised professional she was at the office, and the lighthearted, carefree self she revealed at home. Certainly, she didn't want to come off as icy; as she had a tendency to do in situations where her nerves were getting the best of her. That kind of attitude could very well put Tony's parents off from the get-go.
Plus, they were his parents. Parents worried. Mothers in particular worried; especially when their sons had been tormented at the thought of having been involved with a double-agent whose picture ended up on every news station in the country. His parents' expectations would no doubt, be high. There had been no gradual introduction to one another over a few months time either...she and Tony were engaged. They were meeting Michelle for the first time as the woman he was going to marry. Whatever happened would have a significant impact on any sort of relationship she might have with them from here on in.
"Don't be nervous..." Tony was beginning to sound like a broken record after the number of times he'd said that today.
She shrugged, changed her blouse and hurried across the room to her jewelry box. As she brushed past Tony, he stopped her, grabbing her shoulders.
"Michelle...relax." he told her flustered complexion.
"It's not that big of a deal."
"I just...want everything to go well."
"And it will." he punctuated his point with a firm squeeze. "Trust me."
She pursed her lips together. "'Kay..."
"Good." Tony released her.
"Is this okay?" she asked a few minutes later, still looking uncomfortable.
Tony chuckled as she continued to smooth out her blouse unnecessarily.
"Great..." he assured her, as he pulled on his own shirt and crossed the room. "You look great; and they're gonna love you."
She gave a small, but genuine smile this time, before reaching out and buttoning up his open shirt.
"I love you." she said, placing a slight emphasis on the last word as she coated his neck with light kisses, her fingers smoothing back the collar.
Her smile grew and Tony was glad for it. She was starting to seem more at ease.
The car ride to the restaurant was the longest of Michelle's life; Tony's shabby attempts to lighten the mood by talking about something that had happened on the phone with Hammond failed.
Michelle commented on it, agreeing with Tony's proclamation that Hammond was entirely out of line; (he was also the person who was probably the least accepting of the fact that they were engaged and had broached the subject with Tony many times).
Tony must've sensed her returning nerves as they pulled into the parking lot, because he reached out for her hand, offering a gentle clutch of reassurance, before exiting the car. His hand found hers again as they began to walk towards the entrance. Michelle almost let out a hallow laugh when the hostess told them the rest of their party hadn't arrived yet. Now they had absolutely nothing to do but sit and wait.
Less than five minutes later Tony's voice trailed off midway through his story and his eyes fixated on the doorway. Michelle's stomach plummeted at the next words he spoke.
"They're here." he said, in a vain attempt to keep the mood light.
Michelle straightened her posture, pointlessly tucked her hair behind her ears one more time, and wiped moist palms on the front of her skirt, preparing for the introduction.
This was going to be one hell of a night...
