THE NIGHT OF JULY 14th, 1960

By Andamogirl

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Shortly after, in Michelito Loveless's lab

The two US Secret Service agents materialized in the same ball of pure energy five seconds later on the podium of Loveless's time travel machine just before it exploded, sending huge sparks and then big flames everywhere across the laboratory.

Pieces of it flew everywhere, embedding in the ceiling, in the floor and in the walls.

Small tendrils of electricity still running over his skin covered with goose bumps (same thing for Artie), Jim threw his passed-out partner over his shoulder and quickly followed by Loveless Jr., who had activated the machine for him and was whining over its final destruction, left the room now engulfed in a huge fire and thick clouds of acrid smoke.

Once in relative safety in the hall, Jim gently lay a limp Artemus down on a sofa while two soldiers framed Michelito Loveless aiming their guns at him. Looking at an officer standing behind them, he ordered him, "I want Dr. Beckett here. Go fetch him from the cell car, Lieutenant."

The young man saluted and said, "Yes Sir!" and he left, running toward the door.

Loveless Jr. glared at James West. "I will escape from prison, again. I will have my revenge Mr. West. It's just a matter of time."

Jim smiled. "Speaking of time, your time travel machine is gone, shorty. Sergeant, Corporal, bring back Mr. Loveless Jr. to the cell car. And don't let him escape."

The soldiers framing Loveless shook their heads. "We won't, Sir," they replied in chorus. And they escorted the short man out of the room.

Ignoring Loveless's glare aimed at him, he a dded, "And put him in chains! He will have to get used to it because he will be shackled with irons at the federal penitentiary."

The short man growled, "I will kill you, and your partner! It's a promise!"

Not impressed, Jim replied, "Like father, like son. Your father told me that many times, and Artemus and I are still alive. He failed, you'll fail. Take him!"

Michelito Loveless was marshalled out of the room.

Lupita Quesada, who was waiting in the hall for Jim to come back with Artie, sat down beside the man she was in love with. Very concerned, she pressed two fingers against his pulse and found it fast but still strong under clammy skin. "He's badly wounded," she said frowning, very worried. "What happened?"

Shaking his head, Jim replied, "A bandit shot him…" And he didn't elaborate as Artie had not said anything to Lupita about Andamo yet. But he would, he thought. He nodded. "It's a clean wound, through and through, I think no major organs were touched, but he has lost a lot of blood and he's weak and weakening."

Lupita cupped Artemus's cheeks in her hands, leaned toward him and kissed his lips, softly and slowly. "Artemus, love… open your eyes." There was no reaction. "Artemus, open your eyes querido," she said, then pressed her lips to his brow. She pulled back again. "Artemus?"

Moaning, Artemus slowly half-opened his eyes. "M' here… Hello mi general," he said with a weak smile watching in adoration Lupita's face leaning toward his. With the last of his energy reserves he raised his hand and brushed her cheek tenderly. "Lupita, I… I have something to ask you…" he added, taking her hand to his mouth and then he tenderly kissed her knuckles. "I know it's not the ideal place or the ideal moment to propose you but… Lupita, will you marry me?" He asked her, looking hopefully up at her.

Hearing that Jim beamed. "Ah! Finally! It's about time! I was wondering when you were going to propose to her. Congratulations to both of you."

Rolling his eyes, Artemus said, "What? Finally? It's about time? Lupita and I just had our first date… which was sabotaged by Loveless!"

Jim nodded. "That's true, buddy, but you have been in love with each other for a long time – life separated you both, then it reunited you, and love was still there - intact."

Lupita couldn't help but giggle. "You're right, Jim, but I didn't say yes."

Smiling, and looking expectantly at Lupita, Artemus said, "But you will."

She placed her lips over the older man's, placing several gentle kisses across it. then she cupped his feverish face." You are sure of it."

Nodding, Artemus replied, "Oh yes I am…" Oh yes he was. He was going to marry Lupita and later have a child, named Feliz, Andamo's father, he thought.

Lupita glanced around her. "It's such a romantic place to propose to me Artemus, and the timing is absolutely perfect: there's a raging fire in the next room, the whole house is full of soldiers and you're bleeding on my dress, ruining it…"

Letting out a soft chuckle, Artie grasped one of Lupita's hands, interlacing their fingers. His eyelids were suddenly heavy, blood rushing in his ears and his head was starting to spin. "Welcome to my life, dear."

She smiled. "I know what your life is, Artemus. I'm maybe a General, and the Head of the Mexican Secret Service, but I like to participate to field missions as much as I can. I can't stay sitting behind my desk, I love action and the thrill of danger far too much for that." She smiled and added, "Maybe you could work for me… It's difficult to find good agents…"

Smiling too, he shook his head and replied, "Or maybe you could work at my side, with Jim. The Wanderer is big enough for three."

Lupita shook her head in her turn. "But your bed is too small for two…"

Jim chuckled. "Maybe you could postpone this interesting conversation… Artie needs medical help and the house has started to burn."

Lupita pressed her mouth up against his, kissing him deeply, languorously, one hand buried in Artie's dark hair and the other lovingly rubbing circles at his nape. Then she pulled away and said, "Yes I will." She kissed Artie again and he responded with a hungry kiss, open-mouthed, devouring her lips for a few seconds … before his head lolled backward and he went limp, unconscious again.

Lupita pressed a sweet kiss to Artemus's temple while running her fingers through his dark, wavy hair. "I love you so much…"

Dr. Beckett rushed into the room at that very moment. "Where's my bag?" he asked, heading toward his wounded patient.

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Mexican Embassy, Washington DC

A week later

Guest room

Sitting cross-legged on top of the bed Lupita said, "Let me take care of everything," and as it sounded like an order Artemus nodded in agreement and saluted.

She smiled. "You don't mind?"

Smiling too, Artie shook his head. "No I don't, do whatever you want. I'm yours."

She gave him a gentle shove back onto the bed then crawled up to join him, still fully dressed in her favorite black pants and bolero jacket.

She loosened his black string tie, pulled it over his head and let it fall to the floor where it joined the special agent's blue and dark gray jacket Then she started opening Artemus's button-down shirt using her nimble fingers, slowly, progressively, revealing his broad and muscular chest.

She was enjoying every second of it, eyes shining with pleasure.

In response Artie traced the collar of Lupita's Spanish white shirt with a fingertip. "You saw me half-naked, remember?" He said.

Lupita pouted. "I know and you're ruining the moment… Let's say that I didn't. I was dreaming of doing that – I mean undressing you - since I fell in love with you, after the kiss and the slap in your face."

He chuckled. "How romantic!"

She ignored that and continued what she was doing and pulled Artemus's yellow shirt off and threw it onto the carpet at the end of the bed, leaving him bare-chested and looked down at the tight, white bandage wrapped around his injured middle.

She touched it warily and said, "Maybe we should wait Artemus… I don't want you to burst your stiches and even less hurt you."

Smiling again, reassuringly, Artie reached out, index finger tracing a soft line down the curve of Lupita's neck. "I'm okay, my wound has started healing nicely… and we can make love slowly, gently. There's no rush. We have the whole night… all the time in the world to spend together as lovers, kissing and touching, exploring and discovering…."

Lupita's dark eyes twinkled wickedly in response. "You won't say that in a few minutes…" She said, raising a hand up. She stroked Artemus's cheek tenderly. "I love you Artemus. God, I love you so much…" then she pushed Artie backward, her hands wandering across her chest. threading the fingers of one hand through his hair. "So very much…"

Smoothing his fingertips against Lupita's knee, Artemus said, "I love you Lupita, so very much, " his eyes staring into hers he settled on a nest of pillows, comfortably and opened his arms wide as an invitation to continue to undress him, his heartbeat quickening.

But Lupita didn't. She straddled Artie's lap before leaning forward until their lips almost touched. She peppered his chin and neck in butterfly kisses before licking over the base of his neck. He tilted his head to the side and she continued to place tender kisses across his jaw line.

He pouted in his turn, looking disappointed. "Why did you stop stripping me of my clothes. I'm still wearing so many of them…"

Lupita shook her finger. "Slowly and gently, you said? Patience is a virtue," she said, a hushed whisper against his ear. Then she moved her lips downward, slowly, leaving a trail of light kisses down to his navel. After that she started nibbling and sucking at a random patch of skin here and there.

Shifting on the bed under Lupita's ministrations with small moans of appreciation, Artie gripped the fabric beneath him tightly and let out a whimper. It was like electricity across his skin. He breathed, "I always thought I was a very patient man… but I've just discovered I'm not, not at all." And he gasped when Lupita sucked the skin between her teeth there. "I didn't know that you wanted to torture me…"

Lupita grinned, her black eyes full of wickedness, crinkling at the edges. "You have a lot of things to discover about me, Artemus, a lot," she purred before leaving a wet kiss just under his navel and he shivered from the sensation.

He frowned, intrigued. "Like what?"

She pulled back and brushed her mouth across Artie's. "I'm very talented with a knife… It's my favorite weapon, he smallest blade is deadly, it's easy to hide, it's quiet, you can use a knife in different ways, you can throw it, use the blade to cut, stab..."

He touched his skin just above his Adam's apple, where Lupita had placed the tip of her knife when, disguised as an old man, he had first met her. "To threaten people with… I remember you threatening me with a knife in that olleria, telling me 'you are very close to death'… "

Lupita smiled broadly, removed Artemus's fingers from his neck and kissed the exact spot where his fingertips had been. Then she said, "I wouldn't have killed you, Artemus, I just wanted to scare you to force you to tell me what your 'son' had told you."

He nodded. "I'll never forget our first meeting - although at that moment I was not Artemus Gordon but disguised as an old Texan man."

She began working on his belt buckle, slowly. "It was a great disguise… and a great performance." After that she unbuttoned his pants watching her future fiancé squirm on the brightly fringed and colored bedspread. "I was really impressed, afterwards."

He smiled, pleased by the compliment. "Thanks."

Feeling less and less patient, and feeling a stirring between his thighs, Artemus groaned and breathed, "Lupita, please…" He pleaded, with a catch in his voice, a struggle to hide his need.

Lupita cracked a little smile, satisfied with her effect so far. "Please what Artemus?" She asked with a smirk. "Tell me what you want."

Raising his arms, Artemus brushed Lupita's hair behind her ears with both hands then trailing lower, skimmed over her neck and collarbone. Then he slowly pulled her toward him and lifting his head he met Lupita's lips. They kissed, deeply, passionately. "Please, I don't know how much more of this teasing I can take… and you perfectly know what I want. Let me make love to you," he said, panting slightly.

Lupita kept his goal in mind and loosening the belt around her soon-to-be-lover's pants and, moving into the space between his wide-opened legs, she shoved the material down to his knees. "Patience my dear Artemus; patience," she admonished with a devilish smile.

She bent down and brushed her lips against the side of her soon-to-be lover's neck, beginning a slow trail of biting and sucking up to his jawline and nipped at a tender spot just under his ear. Artie hummed happily and closed his hands on Lupita's back.

She finally placed her lips on his lips and it didn't take long for their tongues to press together, dancing around and tasting each other as if it was the first time.

Breaking the kiss reluctantly, Lupita pulled away tugging on Artie's bottom lip, eliciting a groan of frustration from Artemus and she looked down at his now too tight black underwear, shivers running down her spine and right to her center. A flush colored her face as she hooked one finger into the waistband… Artie's breathing hitched, mouth half-open.

Suddenly someone knocked at the door, then a male voice said, "Genera! ¡es urgente! el embajador quiere verte de inmediato! él tiene un mensaje importante del Presidente para comunicarse con usted." Then he knocked again louder. "General Quesada!"

Shooting a glare at the door, Artemus replied, "Don't disturb us! Damnit! She's not going anywhere! Go away!" and he repeated that in Spanish followed with a threatening growl.

Freezing, sighing in both frustration and anger to be disturbed in her foreplay, Lupita said, "Llego enseguida!" then she cringed. "I'm so sorry Artemus..."

Stroking Lupita's hair, Artemus was of course disappointed but that was duty calling. So he understood. He too had had such inconveniences with women in the past… He nodded and said, "It's okay, I understand. Duty calls. I know that. Go! Your President needs you General."

Lupita placed a soft kiss on Artemus's lips before climbing off his body. "I won't be long," she promised, and then she left the bed and headed toward the door.

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Later

Lupita came back half an hour later and found Artemus sitting on the bed, his b ack propped on comfy pillows, smoking a cigar, wrapped in a cloud of bluish smoke.

She sat down at the edge of the bed and took his hand in his. She was embarrassed. "I'm sorry Artemus but I can't stay. I have to leave Washington and head back to Mexico. The President needs me at his side as soon as possible. I can't tell you more. It's top secret."

He nodded and proposed, "You could travel on the Wanderer, she's the fastest train in the country, and we could be together…"

Lupita sighed. "I would love to, but I can't. I will travel with the Ambassador on board his own train. I'm sorry."

Placing the cigar in the ashtray sat on the nightstand, Artie said, "I understand… But you could wait for… what ten minutes?"

Lupita chuckled. "I thought you wanted to make love slowly and gently?" She leaned down while her thumb stroked Artemus's cheek lovingly. "We'll see each other again, Artemus. And the next time we'll stay in bed for days, making love for hours and hours…"

He smiled his hand coming up to trace Lupita's cheek. "I look forward to this…"

Lupita pressed a kiss to Artie's lips, then she stood and said, "And then we will get engaged and there will be a big Mexican party! I love you Artemus."

He smiled, took Lupita's hand in his and pressed a kiss into the palm of her hand, his eyes shining with tenderness "I love you too Lupita."

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Two weeks later, on the Wanderer

The sudden whistle of the train together with the noise of the engine woke up Artemus Gordon. He pulled himself into a sitting position on the couch, closed the book lying on his lap and yawned. "Mmm… did I sleep for a long time?" he asked Jim, who was sat at the writing table, cleaning his gun.

James shook his head. "One hour or so. We received a new assignment when you were sleeping, buddy. We're about to leave."

Irritated Artie groaned. "No, not now! My engagement with Lupita is scheduled in a week in Washington. Malone knows that! I invited him. I shouldn't have."

Jim smiled. "Don't worry, Artie, the whole mission should take two or three days, that's all. We have to pick up the sister of the Ambassador of France in Chicago and we just have to give her a ride to Washington. I heard she's lovely."

Frowning Artie shook his finger. "Future husband here. No more girls for me, and for you either. You're a married man, Jim."

Jim nodded. "But we can enjoy the presence of a young and lovely lady, right?"

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "Ah! I think my engagement gift to you has arrived. He's punctual," Jim said with a wicked smile.

Artie blinked twice in confusion. "He? Your engagement gift to me is a person? A man?"

Grinning Jim nodded. "He arrived yesterday evening while you were at the Mexican Embassy with Lupita. It was a surprise for me, and a great one! I booked a room for him in the best hotel in Washington because I didn't want him to come here before you came back. I wanted it to be a complete surprise." He opened the door and said, "Welcome to your second home, my boy."

Holding a travel bag, Andamo smiled broadly and entered the parlor car. "Hi!" He said.

The end