A/N: I wasn't thrilled with this chapter, so review it and give suggestions please...
Disclaimer: Still don't own 24.
The happy couple headed down the huge staircase, still in awe of their ranch house. They passed through the living room area into the kitchen, finding a young woman bustling about the stove. A pan sizzled in front of her, and delicious smells wafted their way. "Hello," Michelle said.
The girl spun around. "Oh! Hola! I am Racquel. I start dinner, I think you be hungry after your travels, Mr. and Mrs. Remmel?"
Michelle smiled. "Please, call us Michelle and Tony. We really appreciate you helping us out here...that looks delicious!"
She looked pleased, if a little embarrassed, at the attention. "I am glad to help," she said. "I try to speak English, but I am sorry about my mistakes..."
"It's completely fine," Michelle assured her. "Can I help with the meal at all?"
Tony laughed. "I'm not sure you want her help," he told Racquel.
"He's probably right," Michelle admitted with a smile, "I'm not much with cooking. But I could set the table or something!"
"No, senora, you go explore for a while. I will have it ready at 12."
"All right...Thank you, Racquel," she said.
Tony and Michelle decided to walk outside and look around the property. They had been warned not to venture too far south and risk stumbling onto the Salazar ranch, so they headed out to the west of the house, towards a barn and fenced-in area that looked almost new. Wandering across the lawn holding his hand, Michelle realized she could get used to this: just the two of them, with no reason to leave each others' side. Usually, when they were together, they were battling cell phones constantly ringing to tell them LA was in danger again. Now, they could just relax together - compared to a day at CTU, the ranch chores they would be doing certainly still fit their definition of relaxing. Throughout their days at the ranch, when they had to be separated, it woudn't really matter because they would be reunited soon, at bedtime if not sooner. It was remarkably like they were actually married, and Michelle didn't want it to end.
As they walked in comfortable silence, Tony's thoughts were along the same lines. He couldn't bear the thought of ever waking up without her at his side, and the ring in his pocket was never far from his mind. The only thing stopping him from making serious plans on how to ask her - he wanted it to be memorable - was that it meant CTU would have to find out about them. It could probably still be kept relatively quiet if it wasn't for the female analysts that seemed to be all ears and mouths: they had a field day with gossip after the Nina situation, and he knew they would start talking when they heard he was engaged to his second-in-command. It didn't matter what they said, though, he was in love with the girl by his side. Her smile, her laugh, the sparkle in her eyes...he wanted to spend the rest of his life making her happy, because that was what would make him happy.
They reached the barn area, and Michelle said, "I wonder if there are any animals inside!" She tugged him toward the door and peeked inside cautiously. The smell told them immediately that it hadn't been long since it was inhabited, and when their eyes adjusted to the dark, they saw three horses standing spread in separate stalls. Michelle squealed with delight and approached the nearest one. "Look, they even have name plates! Hey,
Sparkles," she addressed the horse. It snorted appreciatively and nuzzled the hand she offered. "Tony, can we come back later with apples or sugar cubes or something?"
"Definitely," he agreed, loving the way her excitement lit up the dim barn. Blindsided by love for her, he drew her close and tenderly kissed her. She was a caught off guard, but slowly reciprocated, enjoying their time to themselves. Her hands crept behind his neck, then her arms, pulling their bodies closer together. As he felt her respond, his tongue slid over her lips, taking its time slipping between them, tasting her. Their tongues danced together, and she heard herself moan softly. At this, he took two steps forward, pressing her against a wall, running his hands up her sides and over her perfect breasts. She loved the sensation, moving her hips lightly against his, feeling his arousal. He groaned and mumbled, "Chelle...Dios, quiero tu. (God, I want you.)" He felt her shiver at that.
It drove her crazy when he spoke Spanish to her - it sounded so passionate and desperate, and she knew he only slipped into the language when he was worked up about something. "Oh, Tony...you know what that does to me. I need this."
With a final groan, he pulled himself from her. "We have to stop...before it's impossible for both of us."
She growled with disappointment, but knew he was right. "How are we going to last a week?" she complained.
"Oh, I think I forgot to tell you...Jack happened to mention there are no cameras in our bedroom," Tony said mischievously.
"In that case...how long till bedtime?" she asked, only half joking.
One thing he loved about her was how she needed him almost as much as he needed her, and she wasn't afraid to tell him. It was a huge turn-on for him, and made their lovemaking so passionate. He had come to realize that with anyone else, sex was just sex, but with her it was truly making love. "In Mexico, they have this great little tradition of long afternoon siestas," he grinned. Still lingering close to her, he pressed one last kiss to her lips. "Come on, it's about time for lunch," he said reluctantly.
Hand-in-hand, they made their way up to the ranch house. Delicious aromas greeted them at the front door, and as they entered the formal dining room, they saw the table was set for two. Racquel entered from the kitchen holding glasses filled with ice, and said,"Oh, senor, I was about to call you. Dinner is ready."
"Thank you, Racquel. Aren't you eating?" Tony asked.
"I will eat in the kitchen with Enrique and Juan," she said, looking surprised at the question.
"Oh, why don't you all eat in here?" Michelle suggested. "We can have a nice meal together; we haven't even met the brothers yet."
"We wouldn't want to disrupt your meal," the girl hesitated.
"Not at all!" Michelle insisted. "We would enjoy it."
"All right," Racquel smiled. "I will bring the extra dishes and call in the boys."
Moments later, she returned with three more plates, and was trailed by two men in work clothes. One looked to be in his early 20s, the other still a teen. "Hi, I'm Michelle and this is my husband Tony," Michelle greeted them. They both nodded to her and shook Tony's hand.
"I am Juan," the younger one said, "and this is my brother Enrique. He doesn't speak much English." The older brother smiled self-conciously.
"No problemo, yo hablo espanol tambien (No problem, I speak Spanish too)," Tony said to him. "Si requires algo, puedes preguntar yo (If you need anything, you can ask me)."
"Gracias, senor," replied Enrique.
Racquel entered with a bowl of chicken, corn, and peppers mixed together, and a plate of monstrous tortillas. "The food is ready whenever you are," she said quietly.
"Thank you, Racquel," Michelle said. "Shall we eat?"
They all sat down to the table and began to pass the food. Along with the fajitas, there was an orange rice and pinto beans. "Wow, this is delicious," Tony commented, "especially the real tortillas. My mom used to make these when I was growing up...she thought the ones in American grocery stores should be outlawed.
"These are so much better," Michelle agreed. "Not to mention bigger!" Everyone laughed, watching her hold up a tortilla in awe, her face completely hidden behind it.
The meal was filled with conversation about their lives and backgrounds, both Tony and Michelle remembering the briefs they hed been given containing their own made-up stories. They discovered that the men were Racquel's cousins, and they had all grown up together in Las Nieves. Their parents worked on the ranch to the north, one of many owned by the same American family. None of the three said anything negative about it, but Michelle got the feeling this was a different experience for them - being treated like equals by the owners of the ranch they worked for. When they were finished with the delicious food, Michelle insisted on helping Racquel with the dishes, an idea that completely surprised the younger woman. After working side-by-side to clean up the kitchen, Michelle said, "That was an excellent meal. I'm looking forward to more food like that!"
"Thank you, senora," Racquel said shyly.
"Do you know where the men went?" Michelle asked her. "I was hoping they could show Tony and I some things about the ranch."
Just then, Tony entered the kitchen. "Hey, sweetheart," he said. "Wanna go with me to find Juan and Enrique?"
Both the women laughed. "That's exactly what I was just saying," said Michelle. "Let's go." He slid an arm around her as they left the kitchen. Racquel smiled as she watched them leave. What an adorable couple, she thought. It's so obvious they're completely in love.