24 | The Queens Almeida [T/M] Chapter 1
THE QUEENS ALMEIDA by moonie - Chapter 1
Sequel to IN THE LIVING YEARS
Previously: The prologue - Year 30
YEAR 0. FEBRUARY 20
8:00am
"Look at those toes! You've got tiny little toes!" Michelle gushed at two-day-old Victoria, sitting in her lap. Hearing a chuckle behind the couch, she looked over. Tony was standing by the door with a grin on his face. "What?" she asked.
"I'm just trying to reconcile this image with the woman who... used to take down the bad guys."
"Shh," she squinted. "She's very hard to look away from. I think she gets it from you."
"She may have gotten some of that from you too."
"No one is safe," she smiled. He smiled back, walking up to look over her shoulder at the cooing infant.
"When are your parents getting here?"
"I don't know, around lunch I guess. Mom's really excited. She's been so bummed out being so far away, her being unable to spend much time with her new grandchild," she kissed Victoria's nose.
"Well the bed's ready for them, I took care of it," he reached over to carefully take his daughter's hand.
"Thanks," Michelle nodded. "Oh by the way, and... don't ask me how it happened, but if Victoria ends up having a sibling, he or she already has a godmother."
"Who?" he asked curiously.
"Chloe." He gave her a look. "It was sweet... either that or I was in a lot of pain." He laughed.
"Okay."
12:30pm
"Shh, it's okay," Tony tried to soothe a crying Victoria. The 'offense' had been taken as they got around to dressing her in anything other than her little PJs. Eventually though, she quieted again, her smile looking like a 'who, me?' defense - as much as could be managed from her two days in the world.
Admitedly, it wasn't always easy like this, and knowing it would come and handling it were two different things. With the amount of stress they'd both lived with though, it was different. They'd also lived with the fear that one thing done wrong could result in a collapse, and it was frighteningly similar to this in some ways. They wanted to do right by Victoria. The possibility of failing was always there, looming.
Tony picked her up, awake brown eyes locking on to his face. "Okay, let's go find mommy," he spoke as they left her room on the search for Michelle. She stood by the living room window, looking out. He could see her absently fussing with the hem of her shirt. "What luck to have two beautiful girls under my roof," he walked up. She smiled before turning.
"Always there with the right words," she reached for Victoria and he handed her over. "Hey baby," she gave that smile she seemed to reserve for the girl. Looking out the window, Tony spotted the car.
"They're here," he announced.
They hadn't been able to stay very long the night Victoria was born, the three of them having a long drive back home. They hadn't really told their families about the circumstances around Victoria's birth, just they'd had some business to take care of, which was part of the truth. They would tell them the whole story eventually, but for now it was worry they didn't want to spread.
Michelle's parents hadn't been without opinions during the whole ordeal of their separation and reunion. Her father, not unlike Tony's sister Anna, hadn't been so easy to win back. For a while, Tony had been 'the one who spread heartache in his little girl's life', and that just wasn't a place you wanted to be at. It had taken months upon months, of Michelle insisting on her happiness now that he was back, of waiting and seeing, before he spoke a word to Tony again. The pregnancy had slowly worked to augment on the word flow. Now today, they weren't sure what to expect.
With Michelle's mother, it was a whole other story. Knowing of the sacrifices he had made, all toward her daughter's safe return, she could never see herself harbor any ill feelings toward the man. When they were pulled apart, she never saw it as a lasting situation. She knew the way they felt for each other, and no matter what, they would find a way to fix this. When they had, she celebrated in her intuition by welcoming Tony back wholeheartedly. Learning of their expecting a child, she was simply beside herself with joy.
When Tony and Michelle had left the CTU clinic with Victoria, they knew they had to drop in on their parents and their siblings while they had the chance. When they'd arrived at their home, the Dessler grandparents were surprised, then in love as they were introduced to their granddaughter. Both of them spent much of the time of that visit hypnotized by her.
So now as they arrived at Tony and Michelle's home, their son-in-law and daughter wondered what would come of it. They watched them get out of the car, pull out a couple of large gift bags. Michelle looked to Tony with a smile.
"That seems about right." He laughed. As they were greeted, Mrs. Dessler hugged them both, kissed Victoria's curled up fingers. Mr. Dessler, for his part, looked to Tony for a moment before a joyful smile broke through. He shook his hand.
"Congratulation," he nodded, looking on the verge of tears - not unlike his wife and daughter as they looked on.
"Thank you," Tony nodded back.
"Dad..." Michelle hugged him. "Thanks," she whispered in his ear. He gave her a smile. Looking down to Victoria in her arms, he looked more serene than she'd seen in a while. "Here..." Michelle held her out to him. He took her, very carefully.
"She looks so much like you, when you were a baby," he remarked.
"She does..." Mrs. Dessler agreed.
2:15pm
After they'd brought in suitcases and the likes, all that was needed for the next couple of days, they'd all had lunch. Seeing they needed to pick up a few things from the market for dinner, Tony offered to go. Michelle's father asked to come along, so they got in the car and headed off.
They talked over the ride to the market and as they got what was needed, of things such as Tony's job, things they did recently, the last few weeks of the pregnancy... Tony could feel his father-in-law was trying to get somewhere, building up courage. He had thoughts about what the subject might have been, but he never brought it up.
Mr. Dessler finally got around to it as they were driving back. "I'm not sure if I can apologize for all of what I may have said or thought while you two were apart."
"I know."
"But the things afterward... I was wrong, and when I'm wrong, I admit it. So... I'm very sorry, Tony."
"Thank you."
"I... hated seeing her cry..."
"I hated making her," Tony continued looking ahead, the memories some of the worst he had.
"I felt like I hadn't protected her the way I should have... my baby girl. I guess you'll be getting to know what I mean eventually."
"I do," Tony nodded.
4:05pm
"Where's Victoria? Where is she?" Michelle's mother 'asked', looking around with her hands over her eyes. Michelle looked on with a smirk. "There she is!" she flipped her hands away. Victoria just looked at her, batting her arms about lightly. "Okay, maybe she's too young for this game. That's okay though," she picked her up, kissing her cheeks.
"I'm really happy you two are here," Michelle came to sit with her.
"You'll do fine," she assured her. "I know everyone probably told you that already, but it's true. You take care of people, you help them, and I'm proud of you for it every day. I have no doubt Victoria is in great hands."
"Learned from the best," Michelle winked as she worked to push back the blush.
"Well thank you. Now, would you like to tell me what it is you've been holding in? You know you can't get these things past me..." Michelle looked down for a moment. If anyone ever claimed themselves intuitive, they had nothing on her mother. "Come on now, talk to me."
"We didn't just happen to be in Los Angeles two days ago. I got called in..."
"Called in?"
"By CTU."
"Oh."
"There was a situation, they needed me. I didn't want to go, but then I found out Liz Whitley was in trouble. I had to do something..."
"I see."
"Only shortly after I got there, the man we were trying to find broke in, took the building hostage."
"Michelle..."
"It's okay, I was in a locked room, they didn't know I was there. But then I went into labor. Tony had found out about my going out there, so he drove in too. He got us out of there okay." Michelle's mother took a moment to take it all in. "It should make an interesting story one day," she commented, trying to lighten the mood.
"You've always lived in this high stakes world..." she finally spoke.
"Well I think we've left the high stakes now. She's too important to us," she looked to baby Victoria.
6:30pm
"Ever think of moving back? It's just a shame you guys are so far..." Mrs. Dessler commented as they sat to dinner.
"It's complicated," Michelle started, looking to Tony.
"Our jobs are a part of it, but not the biggest. We moved here to separate ourselves from things we needed to leave behind to make things work. It's been a while now, but it still wouldn't feel right. We made a choice, and we need to stand by it."
"Who knows, maybe one day we would return. It just can't be now or some time soon," Michelle went on.
"Well, if it's what you need, then I have no problem with these visits," Mr. Dessler nodded.
11:00pm
"I can barely keep my eyes open..." Michelle yawned as they went into their room.
"Well these last few days haven't been the most restful," Tony spoke as they changed for the night.
"Mom's insisting we let her take care of Victoria when she wakes up in the night."
"That's good."
"I couldn't do it though..." she shrugged.
"That's also good." She smiled.
"I guess it's just something else we'll have to get used to." A moment later, they could hear Victoria crying. Michelle started to move toward the door, then stopped as her mother walked by.
"I got it," she assured her. Michelle sighed. Tony came up to her, put an arm around her.
"Come on, get some sleep. We'll need it."
"Yeah..." she finally agreed. He kissed the top of her head, and they went to lie down. She stayed close to him. He could feel her distracted, wanting to go out there. Finally, he broke through the silence, hoping to relax her.
"So this Chloe thing..." She turned to him with a smile.
"Give it time."
"I know."
"Okay." Soon, they slept.
TBC
Sequel to IN THE LIVING YEARS
Previously: The prologue - Year 30
YEAR 0. FEBRUARY 20
8:00am
"Look at those toes! You've got tiny little toes!" Michelle gushed at two-day-old Victoria, sitting in her lap. Hearing a chuckle behind the couch, she looked over. Tony was standing by the door with a grin on his face. "What?" she asked.
"I'm just trying to reconcile this image with the woman who... used to take down the bad guys."
"Shh," she squinted. "She's very hard to look away from. I think she gets it from you."
"She may have gotten some of that from you too."
"No one is safe," she smiled. He smiled back, walking up to look over her shoulder at the cooing infant.
"When are your parents getting here?"
"I don't know, around lunch I guess. Mom's really excited. She's been so bummed out being so far away, her being unable to spend much time with her new grandchild," she kissed Victoria's nose.
"Well the bed's ready for them, I took care of it," he reached over to carefully take his daughter's hand.
"Thanks," Michelle nodded. "Oh by the way, and... don't ask me how it happened, but if Victoria ends up having a sibling, he or she already has a godmother."
"Who?" he asked curiously.
"Chloe." He gave her a look. "It was sweet... either that or I was in a lot of pain." He laughed.
"Okay."
12:30pm
"Shh, it's okay," Tony tried to soothe a crying Victoria. The 'offense' had been taken as they got around to dressing her in anything other than her little PJs. Eventually though, she quieted again, her smile looking like a 'who, me?' defense - as much as could be managed from her two days in the world.
Admitedly, it wasn't always easy like this, and knowing it would come and handling it were two different things. With the amount of stress they'd both lived with though, it was different. They'd also lived with the fear that one thing done wrong could result in a collapse, and it was frighteningly similar to this in some ways. They wanted to do right by Victoria. The possibility of failing was always there, looming.
Tony picked her up, awake brown eyes locking on to his face. "Okay, let's go find mommy," he spoke as they left her room on the search for Michelle. She stood by the living room window, looking out. He could see her absently fussing with the hem of her shirt. "What luck to have two beautiful girls under my roof," he walked up. She smiled before turning.
"Always there with the right words," she reached for Victoria and he handed her over. "Hey baby," she gave that smile she seemed to reserve for the girl. Looking out the window, Tony spotted the car.
"They're here," he announced.
They hadn't been able to stay very long the night Victoria was born, the three of them having a long drive back home. They hadn't really told their families about the circumstances around Victoria's birth, just they'd had some business to take care of, which was part of the truth. They would tell them the whole story eventually, but for now it was worry they didn't want to spread.
Michelle's parents hadn't been without opinions during the whole ordeal of their separation and reunion. Her father, not unlike Tony's sister Anna, hadn't been so easy to win back. For a while, Tony had been 'the one who spread heartache in his little girl's life', and that just wasn't a place you wanted to be at. It had taken months upon months, of Michelle insisting on her happiness now that he was back, of waiting and seeing, before he spoke a word to Tony again. The pregnancy had slowly worked to augment on the word flow. Now today, they weren't sure what to expect.
With Michelle's mother, it was a whole other story. Knowing of the sacrifices he had made, all toward her daughter's safe return, she could never see herself harbor any ill feelings toward the man. When they were pulled apart, she never saw it as a lasting situation. She knew the way they felt for each other, and no matter what, they would find a way to fix this. When they had, she celebrated in her intuition by welcoming Tony back wholeheartedly. Learning of their expecting a child, she was simply beside herself with joy.
When Tony and Michelle had left the CTU clinic with Victoria, they knew they had to drop in on their parents and their siblings while they had the chance. When they'd arrived at their home, the Dessler grandparents were surprised, then in love as they were introduced to their granddaughter. Both of them spent much of the time of that visit hypnotized by her.
So now as they arrived at Tony and Michelle's home, their son-in-law and daughter wondered what would come of it. They watched them get out of the car, pull out a couple of large gift bags. Michelle looked to Tony with a smile.
"That seems about right." He laughed. As they were greeted, Mrs. Dessler hugged them both, kissed Victoria's curled up fingers. Mr. Dessler, for his part, looked to Tony for a moment before a joyful smile broke through. He shook his hand.
"Congratulation," he nodded, looking on the verge of tears - not unlike his wife and daughter as they looked on.
"Thank you," Tony nodded back.
"Dad..." Michelle hugged him. "Thanks," she whispered in his ear. He gave her a smile. Looking down to Victoria in her arms, he looked more serene than she'd seen in a while. "Here..." Michelle held her out to him. He took her, very carefully.
"She looks so much like you, when you were a baby," he remarked.
"She does..." Mrs. Dessler agreed.
2:15pm
After they'd brought in suitcases and the likes, all that was needed for the next couple of days, they'd all had lunch. Seeing they needed to pick up a few things from the market for dinner, Tony offered to go. Michelle's father asked to come along, so they got in the car and headed off.
They talked over the ride to the market and as they got what was needed, of things such as Tony's job, things they did recently, the last few weeks of the pregnancy... Tony could feel his father-in-law was trying to get somewhere, building up courage. He had thoughts about what the subject might have been, but he never brought it up.
Mr. Dessler finally got around to it as they were driving back. "I'm not sure if I can apologize for all of what I may have said or thought while you two were apart."
"I know."
"But the things afterward... I was wrong, and when I'm wrong, I admit it. So... I'm very sorry, Tony."
"Thank you."
"I... hated seeing her cry..."
"I hated making her," Tony continued looking ahead, the memories some of the worst he had.
"I felt like I hadn't protected her the way I should have... my baby girl. I guess you'll be getting to know what I mean eventually."
"I do," Tony nodded.
4:05pm
"Where's Victoria? Where is she?" Michelle's mother 'asked', looking around with her hands over her eyes. Michelle looked on with a smirk. "There she is!" she flipped her hands away. Victoria just looked at her, batting her arms about lightly. "Okay, maybe she's too young for this game. That's okay though," she picked her up, kissing her cheeks.
"I'm really happy you two are here," Michelle came to sit with her.
"You'll do fine," she assured her. "I know everyone probably told you that already, but it's true. You take care of people, you help them, and I'm proud of you for it every day. I have no doubt Victoria is in great hands."
"Learned from the best," Michelle winked as she worked to push back the blush.
"Well thank you. Now, would you like to tell me what it is you've been holding in? You know you can't get these things past me..." Michelle looked down for a moment. If anyone ever claimed themselves intuitive, they had nothing on her mother. "Come on now, talk to me."
"We didn't just happen to be in Los Angeles two days ago. I got called in..."
"Called in?"
"By CTU."
"Oh."
"There was a situation, they needed me. I didn't want to go, but then I found out Liz Whitley was in trouble. I had to do something..."
"I see."
"Only shortly after I got there, the man we were trying to find broke in, took the building hostage."
"Michelle..."
"It's okay, I was in a locked room, they didn't know I was there. But then I went into labor. Tony had found out about my going out there, so he drove in too. He got us out of there okay." Michelle's mother took a moment to take it all in. "It should make an interesting story one day," she commented, trying to lighten the mood.
"You've always lived in this high stakes world..." she finally spoke.
"Well I think we've left the high stakes now. She's too important to us," she looked to baby Victoria.
6:30pm
"Ever think of moving back? It's just a shame you guys are so far..." Mrs. Dessler commented as they sat to dinner.
"It's complicated," Michelle started, looking to Tony.
"Our jobs are a part of it, but not the biggest. We moved here to separate ourselves from things we needed to leave behind to make things work. It's been a while now, but it still wouldn't feel right. We made a choice, and we need to stand by it."
"Who knows, maybe one day we would return. It just can't be now or some time soon," Michelle went on.
"Well, if it's what you need, then I have no problem with these visits," Mr. Dessler nodded.
11:00pm
"I can barely keep my eyes open..." Michelle yawned as they went into their room.
"Well these last few days haven't been the most restful," Tony spoke as they changed for the night.
"Mom's insisting we let her take care of Victoria when she wakes up in the night."
"That's good."
"I couldn't do it though..." she shrugged.
"That's also good." She smiled.
"I guess it's just something else we'll have to get used to." A moment later, they could hear Victoria crying. Michelle started to move toward the door, then stopped as her mother walked by.
"I got it," she assured her. Michelle sighed. Tony came up to her, put an arm around her.
"Come on, get some sleep. We'll need it."
"Yeah..." she finally agreed. He kissed the top of her head, and they went to lie down. She stayed close to him. He could feel her distracted, wanting to go out there. Finally, he broke through the silence, hoping to relax her.
"So this Chloe thing..." She turned to him with a smile.
"Give it time."
"I know."
"Okay." Soon, they slept.
TBC