Note: Hi everybody!

This work its narrated before the Heeler girls were even born, so it's focused on Bandit and Chilli's relationship, therefore the narrative may be a little bit more mature, even if I tried to maintain the heartwarming spirit of the original show.

English is not my first language, so any comments about grammar and spelling will be appreciated.

Hope you enjoy!

--

CHAPTER 1

There she was, looking with attentive eyes at a very good reproduction of the finest Andean weaving, a curious smile matching the gentle wagging of her tail.

He smiled widely, her mere presence bringing utter joy to his heart. They had already passed their first year of relationship and he was determined to make it last forever.

He fidgeted with the ring on his pocket. The tiny jewel had lived in there for almost one month already, and in moments like this he played with the golden band, daring himself to just take it and propose himself to her, just like that! But no... he wanted to do it in the perfect place, at the perfect time, not just like that in his workplace of all places!.

...

" That's a Chancay tunic dating A.D. 1200–1400... well, an excellent reproduction of it, that is!"

"Love! I didn't hear you coming!" she said before kissing him lovingly.

"Are those flying condors?".

"Yes, they are! This is part of a temporary exhibition we got from Lima University".

"Woah! It's beautiful Bandit!"

Suddenly, Chilli noticed a mischievous smirk in Bandits face. "Whats on your mind Deep Blue?".

"I have a plan to propose you, but we need to get out from here!"

THIS EPISODE OF THE HEELERS IS CALLED: A TRIP

"So... you are going to Rome for four days?"

"Yep!"

"For work, because you are borrowing some ancient Rome findings for a temporal exhibition"

"Yep!"

"And you want me to take a leave of absence or something like that to travel to Rome with you..."

"Not with me! That would be cheating on the Museum!"

"... So?"

"Along with me! In the same plane, to the same city and the same hotel, but not with me... you see? You will go on vacation and Ill go to work, but we both will be in ROME, paying half the price!"

"And I will be with you just half the time! You would be working, do you remember?"

"Its not a full-time job! Ill have time to spend with you!"

Chilli didn't look much convinced.

"Aww Cmon! Think about it, You and Me, romancing at night in the Eternal City!"

Chilli couldn't help but smirk at that.

"So, it's a work trip in the guise of a romance trip?"

"No, it's a ROMANCE TRIP in the guise of a work one", said Bandit with a seductive smile.

--

Bandit sighed while putting his baggage in its shelf. He just had sat on his place at the plane, when he heard a gentle voice at his side.

"Please sir, could you help me with my baggage?"

It was her! ...Wearing very fancy sunglasses.

"Of course, miss!", he said, his tail wagging with happiness. "May I offer the window seat to you?".

"Oh, yes! You are too kind, thank you... may I know your name?", she said while holding up her sunglasses seductively.

"So, we are doing this properly, uh? So good!", he thought.

"My name is Telemachus, and yours is...?"

"Portia. Nice to meet you", she said while holding up her hand to him. He smirked playfully and kiss it. She smiled prettily.

"So, where are you heading to?", he said.

"To Rome, I must check the state of one of my properties"

"Oh! Do you own a house in Italy?"

"No, an island"

"Oh!", he chuckled.

"Are you heading to Rome also?"

"Yes, for work"

"Ah, too bad..."

"Why?"

"Youll have no time for romance..."

"Oh, but I will have If you want to!"

"Well, I might want to...This is my hotel address, so we can catch up if you can make some free time...", she said coquettishly, while passing an hotel card to him.

He sighed dramatically. "Oh! This is my hotel too; it must be destiny!!"

She chuckled. "Ah! love is blind, and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit!! Don't you think so, Telemachus?".

--

They arrived at their hotel by night, and proceeded to check in separately, in separate rooms.

"Where are you following me to, Bandit?"

"To your room, of course"

"What?! The cheek!", she complained playfully. "What if someone sees us, and then they said the Australian archaeologist who just checked in, went straight into the bed of a tourist! What if the rumour reaches your boss!?"

"Aaaand why should I care?! Its my free time! Besides... I want to try the single bed you booked..."

Chilli couldn't help but laughed at the cheekiness in his voice. "We wouldn't sleep in that way!", she said, knowing right too well what he was going to say next.

"... I didn't say we would sleep..."

She squealed prettily.

"And any way, we just could snuggle up closer if we need to... ¿So?"

She smiled, happily conceding defeat.

"Sounds right for me", she said while opening the door.

--

Chilli was sitting on the bed at Bandits side, just relishing in the contemplation of his beloved features in the bright light of the morning. He was sleeping as peacefully as a puppy.

She caressed the fur of his cheek with tenderness. She would gladly begin every day of her life in this way, sharing it with him. Chilli chuckled softly … and the nights also, especially nights like yesterdays night...

Maybe not all mornings would be as calm as this one, yet she would share with him even busy mornings...perhaps...even chaotic mornings with children.

So, she reached a compromise with herself, if he wouldn't propose marriage to her this very month, shell propose to him, for she wanted this love of them to last forever.

Bandit smiled, clearly enjoying her attention, and opened his eyes slowly.

"Morning, lover boy".

"Mhhhh... morning, beautiful one...".

He sniffed the air and then smiled widely. "I must be in heaven, because Ive been greeted by an angel and theres brekky smell in the air".

Chilli laughed. "Room services Italian brekky, my love".

"Room service? And what about the service gossiping about us?"

"Naaah! Im on vacation, I can bring anyone I want to my room, even certain archaeologist I met in the plane!". Bandit laughed heartily.

"Now, theres REAL Italian espresso, cornetto, bread, butter, raspberry and orange marmalades, and some pastries".

Bandit sipped his coffee and took a bite of cornetto. "Ahhh! Yes, this is Heaven!!".

"Yeah, yeah... hurry up or you will be late to work!"

"Dont worry, love. The museum is very near".

"Ok, send to me its location anyway. So, I can be sure to be near it once you are done".

"Yeah babe".

Bandit munched his bread peacefully while he looked at her admiring the vista of the street below.

He sighed. "You know, Chilli?". She turned to look at him with a smile. "I like this very much..."

"What?"

"Waking up with you".

She smiled brightly.

--

Bandit was nervous, but it was the good kind of nervousness, the one you got before a very much expected footy match.

He finally got to know the team of the Italian museum, all of them very kind people, and now they were about to begin to show him the findings they will send to Australia.

It was a group of ten marble tombstones from the first century BC, all of them a wondrous window to the lives of its owners. He was to examine them, classify what its was to be classified, help the Italians to pack them properly and deliver them safely to the airport before he leaves. A piece of cake.

The last tombstone was especial. In it he could read: "Hic est illa sita Corneliae Tertulla, quae fit femina sanctissima. Virum ex toto corde amabat. Peperit duos filios. Illa lepida in converse, sed digna gerendo. Medicum optimum, foelicissima femina. Erexit a viro Cassio Philippo ob gratiam".

(Here she lies Lucia Cornelia Tertulla, who was a most upright woman. She loved her husband with her whole heart. She bore two sons. She was charming in converse, yet proper in bearing. Excellent physician, most happy woman. Erected by her husband Cassius Philippus out of gratitude.)

Bandit smiled tenderly. "Hey Lucia... hope you and Cassius are together now", he murmured.

At the side of the tombstone there was a box, holding...jewels?

"Erhmmm... Dino?", said Bandit to one of his Italian colleagues.

"Si?"

"There are jewels with this one! That's very unusual..."

"Thats true! Precisely that makes this one so especial", answered the St. Bernard archaeologist with an Italian accented english.

"Well, you are far too generous with us, mate!", Bandit exclaimed. "So... This lady was a patrician from the Cornelius gens... maybe she died before 79 BC?"

"Si. It's most likely".

"Ah! Hers was an inhumation, then?"

"Si!"

"I see...". Bandits curiosity was now at its peak. He examined every item attentively. "Beautiful craftsmanship!".

There was a necklace, a pair of earrings, a bracelet and a wedding ring. Every piece of gold and silver, with semiprecious gemstones.

He took the ring in his hand.

He frowned... something was amiss here...

notes:

thanks for reading so far.

For those who wondered about:

1. The most common ancient funerary rite was cremation, inhumation was common only till 79 BC.

2. If you got the Shakespeare reference...well done! Portia it's one of the main characters in "The merchant of Venice", and yes she owns an island, and the quote Chilli makes to Telemachus at the end of their conversation it's from that play.