Disclaimer: Burn Notice still doesn't belong to me unfortunately.
A/N: Thank you to everyone for the reviews, PM's and for all of the favourite story and author add's. I really do appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my stories. RL is keeping me away from my computer at the moment so I haven't been able to sit down and write any oneshots, but I'm hoping to have some time after the finale next week.
I think I've had more PM's asking for Caitlin and Meaghan than I've had for any other story I've written. So as a special thank you to all of you who have supported me throughout BN and the other fandoms I've been involved with, I decided to bring the two Westen girls back for one last time. This is my Christmas present to all of you.
As always thank you to my wonderful friends Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and JediSkysinger for reading through part of this and for making me smile every day. Also huge thanks to JediSkysinger for her BETA despite being incredibly busy.
Lastly, thanks to the girls on twitter, you're all so very special to me and I love you all
Jumping down from her chair, she raced across to the window and moved back the blind so that she could wave frantically at her parents, who were currently trying to pull a Christmas tree out of the back of the car without killing each other in the process
Caitlin's Christmas
Life in the Westen household was relatively calm for now, but there was a brewing excitement from the little girl who was colouring in some Christmas cards while she listened for an approaching car. Looking down at the brightly coloured Christmas tree, she smiled to herself as she thought about her favourite uncle and reached out for a gold coloured pen.
"What are you doing there, sweetheart?" Madeline asked her with a bright smile when she came back into the room with Meaghan nestled against her shoulder.
"I'm makin' uncle Sam a card," she beamed as she reached down to the table and picked it up. "Do ya like it?"
Madeline's eyes fell onto the brightly coloured card and stifled the chuckle that threated to escape when she noted how her little grandbaby had caught Sam's personality perfectly.
"I think it's perfect," she told her as she moved a little closer. "You have a lot of gold on there, honey."
"Yep," Caitlin grinned proudly. "It looks like Uncle Sam's necklace."
"It sure does," Madeline told her with an enthusiastic smile. "He'll love it."
Caitlin nodded and lifted her head when the unmistakable sound of a car caused her smile to grow even brighter.
"Daddy's back!"
Jumping down from her chair, she raced across to the window and moved back the blind so that she could wave frantically at her parents, who were currently trying to pull a Christmas tree out of the back of the car without killing each other in the process. Caitlin's eyes grew wide when she watched her father stand the tree upright so that her mother could close the door before they both turned to see her waving at them.
Fiona's lips merged into a smile when she spotted her little girl at the window and felt a surge of love wash over her. So much had happened over the last year that there were times Fiona still looked over her shoulder just in case. Lifting her hand to her lips, she blew her daughter a kiss before she smiled up at the man beside her and then rushed towards the front door to push it open so that Michael could bring the tree inside and lay it on the floor.
Within seconds, Caitlin was by his side, her large excited eyes causing him to scoop her up in his arms and plant noisy kisses all over her small face. The little girl squealed and giggled uncontrollably and begged her mother to save her, but Fiona just laughed and shook her head as she reached for the baby in Madeline's arms.
Meaghan watched her sister with wide, fascinated eyes only to babble loudly when no one seemed to be paying her much attention. Now almost four months old, she was noticing everything around her and making a grab for anything that she came into contact with. Her dark hair had thickened over the last few weeks and out of the two Westen girls, she was the one who resembled her father the most.
"Has she been any trouble?" Fiona asked her mother in law as she as she looked adoringly down at her baby girl. "She had us both up last night."
"Nope," Madeline beamed when she moved closer to her youngest grandbaby and nuzzled her hair before she pulled back to coo soft words at her. "She's been a dream…haven't you, sweetheart?…yes you have…"
Meaghan giggled and shoved a fist in her mouth as she turned her attention back towards her father and sister who were trying to stand the tree upright to see how tall it was. Sensing he was being watched, Michael turned his head and grinned at his baby girl who babbled through the fist in her mouth and threw herself upwards against her mother.
"I think Meaghan wants her daddy," Fiona mused as she planted kisses into her little girl's hair before she turned her around so that he could see her chubby little face. "You want daddy?"
Meaghan squealed and kicked her legs outwards when Michael gave up his hold on the tree and propped it up against the wall. Skimming his fingers through Caitlin's hair, he smiled down at her adoringly before he moved towards his youngest daughter and scooped her out of Fiona's arms to propel her upwards only to bring her back down to cover her in kisses.
Meaghan squealed and kicked her legs in delight when he lifted her upwards again to repeat the process only to include his eldest daughter in the game. Caitlin played peek-a-boo every time Michael lowered her baby sister towards her, causing the tiniest Westen to squeal even louder.
Fiona shook her head and smiled at the sight before her and tried to remember what their lives had been like before they had become a family. Turning her gaze onto Madeline, she could see the sparkle in the older woman's eyes and couldn't help but smile. Reaching out she laid a hand on Madeline's arm and caught her attention and indicated for her to follow her towards the front door.
Michael caught Fiona's gaze and nodded knowingly as he kept Caitlin distracted long enough for the two women to leave the house without her noticing. Turning Meaghan around, he kissed her cheek and settled her against his chest before he laid his hand on Caitlin's head to spread his fingers wide.
"Did you make some Christmas cards?" he asked when he steered her towards the table.
"Yep," Caitlin gasped as she propelled herself away from him to run towards the table to pick up the card she'd made for Sam. "Look…it's Uncle Sam."
Michael smiled when he caught sight of the bright gold colour that she had drawn all over the card and nodded enthusiastically.
"It's great, honey."
"Do ya think he'll like it?" Caitlin asked with a wide grin when she looked down at it proudly. "I gave him a necklace."
Michael regarded his eldest daughter adoringly before he bent over to kiss the top of her head. He moved back quickly when he saw Meaghan making a move to pull on a fistful of Caitlin's hair, stopping her before she could grab it.
"He'll love it, honey," he nodded, his mouth turning upwards into a bright smile. "He'll be over later so you can give it to him."
"I need ta finish tha inside first," she told him, opening it to show him the blank page inside the card to prove her point.
"Okay," he nodded. "How about you come with me into the kitchen and then you can help me feed Meaghan."
Caitlin thought about his proposition for a few moments before she placed her card back onto the table and turned back around to face him.
"Meaghan doesn' like tha white stuff," she told him seriously. "Mammy said she wa' goin' ta get har somethin' new ta try."
"We did," he grinned. "Come on, let's see if she likes it."
His words brought a bright smile to the little girl's face and she jumped towards him to wrap her arms around his waist before releasing him to follow him into the kitchen.
000
Outside the house, Fiona and Madeline eventually finished swapping the Christmas gifts for the girls from Fiona's car to Madeline's, both of them watching the windows every now and then just in case Michael hadn't managed to keep Caitlin occupied enough for her to get a little curious. Finally, when the last bag of gifts was transferred into Madeline's trunk, they both breathe a sigh of relief.
"Did you get everything?" Madeline asked when Fiona slammed the trunk shut.
"We did," Fiona told her as she leaned back against the car and gritted her teeth. "I had to rescue Michael a few times from a few overly friendly sales assistants!"
Madeline chuckled as she reached inside her pocket to pull out her cigarette pouch. "Now, honey, didn't we tell you you're not allowed to threaten everyone who looks at your husband?"
Fiona's eyes darted to her mother in law, not the least bit amused at the smirk on the older woman's face when she placed a cigarette between her lips.
"Michael wouldn't let me threaten anyone," Fiona sighed, her lips curving into a pout. "He dragged me out of the store before I could say anything!"
"Fi—"
"No, Madeline, if some woman decides to ogle my husband even while I am there standing next to him, I have the right to…blow her up!"
"What happened to your Christmas spirit?" Madeline chuckled as she blew a plume of smoke into the air.
Fiona's responding pout just caused Madeline to laugh harder, earning her a mock glare before Fiona shook her head in amusement and moved back towards the door. Madeline grinned and stubbed her cigarette out onto the ground and followed her back inside the house only to be met with squeals of laughter coming from the bathroom.
Glancing at each other curiously, both women made their way towards the sounds only to stop in the open doorway. Fiona's eyes grew as wide as her smile when she saw her two daughter's in the bathtub, splashing bubbles in every direction, soaking their father in the process.
Michael turned his head and grinned at his wife from his place at the side of the tub as he held Meaghan upright so that she could splash around with her sister.
"What is going on in here?" Fiona asked as she stepped into the room, earning squeals from her two little girls. Stepping closer, she sat onto the toilet seat and leaned across her husband to launch two yellow ducks into the bath between the two girls.
Madeline watched the young family and sighed wistfully. Despite his upbringing, her eldest son had turned into a truly wonderful father and she had never been more proud of him than she was right now. Taking a step back, she turned away from the bathroom to head back into the kitchen to clean up the disaster area that Michael had left behind.
"Mammy, look at me," Caitlin giggled when she covered her face with bubbles. "I'm Santa."
Fiona could feel the swell of love inside her and stopped to wipe the beginning of a tear from her eyes before she moved from the toilet seat to crouch down beside Michael outside the bathtub.
"But if you're Santa, how are you going to deliver all of the presents?" she asked with a smile as she dipped her fingers into the water and scooped some up to pour over Caitlin's shoulder.
Caitlin thought for a few moments before she hurriedly wiped all of the bubbles away and turned towards her mother with a bright smile.
"Look, mammy, it's me!"
Fiona gasped dramatically and grinned down at her eldest daughter. "There you are, baby, I thought we'd lost you."
"Yer silly mammy," Caitlin giggled as she looked towards her baby sister and handed her one of the ducks that had floated behind her.
"Well, shall we should get you both out of the bath so that daddy can call Uncle Sam to help you decorate the tree?"
Caitlin gasped and sat up onto her knees before she climbed to her feet. Holding her arms up so that Fiona could wrap her in a fluffy towel, she glanced down at her sister and offered her a bright smile.
"Come on, daddy, Meaghan needs ta see tha tree all sparkly."
"I'm getting her out now, honey," he told with a smile as he scooped the wriggling baby out of the water to wrap her in a large white towel before he handed her to Fiona who planted kisses all over her cheeks.
Caitlin dragged the ends of the towel behind her and made her way out of the bathroom and headed towards her bedroom. Turning to look at her father, she grinned up at him adoringly as she held the towel tighter.
"Can ya tell uncle Sam ta come fast?" she asked excitedly. "I want ta give him his card."
Michael nodded incredulously when she turned into her bedroom without another backwards glance.
"Don't worry, Michael," Fiona chuckled when she stood beside him with Meaghan in her arms. "You're still her favourite."
"Yeah," he huffed. "When Uncle Sam isn't around!"
Meaghan cooed up at him and he bent down to place a kiss onto her cheek before moving upwards to kiss Fiona soundly.
"We'll be out in a minute," she promised when she stepped backwards towards Meaghan's room.
Michael nodded, watching them disappear before he made his way into the family room to find his phone, all the while unable to keep the smile off of his face.
000
Later that afternoon while Meaghan had gone down for a nap, Fiona kept Caitlin occupied with icing gingerbread men in the kitchen while Madeline helped Michael secure the tree. Caitlin for her part kept one eye on the door as she blobbed white icing onto the biscuits before she reached for a handful of silver icing balls.
"Do ya think Uncle Sam will be here soon?" she asked as she glanced up at her mother. "I'm goin' ta make him a gingerbread man, too."
"He'll be here, baby," Fiona told her with a smile. "He told daddy he had to run some errands first."
"Like what?" Caitlin asked innocently as she returned her attention back to the gingerbread man.
"I have no idea," Fiona smiled, even though she had a fair idea that the errand involved a woman in one way or another.
Nodding her head, the little girl lifted up her decorated gingerbread and called her father's name. When he turned to look at her she beamed a bright smile at him as she held up her creation proudly.
"Do ya like me gingerbread man, daddy?" she asked excitedly.
The smile that graced Michael's lips lit up his eyes as he nodded enthusiastically. "That's great, honey."
"It's fer you," she grinned. "Yer have ta eat it when it's not sticky though."
Michael watched her for a few more moments, still not quite believing how much his life had changed over the past year. Yes, they'd had their fair share of trials to overcome, but with Marie finally gone, they had settled into their own little world, one where they were happy and content to take the odd job whenever one came up. The CIA and his burn notice still occupied his thoughts, but when he looked at his two little girls, those thoughts all but vanished, pushed back to the far reaches of his mind again.
A sudden knock caused all of them to look at the door questioningly before Michael handed a shiny red ornament to his mother and walked towards it. Despite being safe here, it seemed that old habits crept upon both him and Fiona and he found himself eyeing the gun that they had placed on top of the cabinet beside the door.
The knock sounded again, this time accompanied by a voice and he suddenly felt his whole body relax. Moving forwards, he pulled the door open and grinned incredulously at his friend who was struggling with a box in his arms
"Sam?"
"Hey, Mikey, give me a hand with this thing, will ya? I'm bustin' a gut here."
Without thinking, Michael made his way outside and helped his friend, grabbing hold of one end of the box, carrying it inside.
"Uncle Sam," Caitlin squealed as she climbed down from the stool in the kitchen and raced around towards him.
Sam with the help of Michael placed the box onto the floor and turned in time to scoop the little girl up in his arms and cover her in kisses before he tugged her into a tight hug.
"Ya know, darlin', you're the most beautiful girl I've seen all day."
Caitlin's lips merged into a bright smile as she wrapped her arms around him. "What abou' mammy?"
Sam glanced over at Fiona and winked at her before he returned his gaze back towards the little girl tucked against his side.
"It's your dad's job to tell your mom she's pretty."
"He does," Caitlin gasped and placed her hand dramatically over her mouth to stifle her giggles. "An' he keeps kissin' har, too."
Sam's lips turned upwards into a wide smile and he looked at his friend who had suddenly turned a dark shade of pink before he shook his head in amusement only to return his attention to his little niece who had placed a hand on his cheek.
"I made somethin' fer ya," Caitlin gasped when she suddenly remembered the card she had made for him. "Do ya wan' ta see?"
"You made something for me?" he asked, caught between surprise and pride. "Aww, honey, I'd love to see it."
Caitlin beamed a huge smile up at him and moved backwards until he placed her onto the floor and watched in complete awe when she raced off towards her bedroom.
"So, what's in the box?" Michael asked curiously when Sam moved towards Fiona to take the offered beer from her hand.
"Stuff," he shrugged as he popped the lid off of his bottle and took a long swig.
Madeline shook her head and smiled to herself as she returned to the box of sparkling round ornaments and reached inside to pick another one out. She could see by the look in her son's eyes that he was more curious about what Sam had brought with him than helping her to finish decorating the tree. She was so engrossed in finding the right sized ornament that she didn't notice Fiona coming to stand beside her until she placed a hand onto her shoulder.
"I'll help you with that," she offered as she glanced back at Michael who was watching Sam pull open the flaps of the box he'd brought in. "I doubt we'll get any sense out of those two for a while."
"Aren't you curious?" Madeline asked, when she placed a red ball onto the tree. "Even a little bit?"
"Nope," Fiona grinned as she bent to fish a golden globe from the box and lifted it up to hook the loop over one of the branches.
"Really?"
Shrugging, she glanced back at the two men before she smiled wistfully and returned her attention back to the tree.
"Knowing Sam it's full of beer."
Caitlin's voice caused all four adults to look over at her when she came back into the room, the card she'd made for Sam tucked beneath her arm. When she moved closer towards her uncle, she grinned up at him but didn't move.
"Close yer eyes."
"Is it a surprise?" he asked with obvious delight as he did as she asked, standing stock still until she stepped closer and pushed the card she'd made into his hand.
"Ya can look," she told him excitedly as she bounced on the spot.
When Sam opened his eyes and looked down at the card in his hands, he couldn't help the slow smile that bloomed over his lips. His eyes wandered over the picture on the front of the card noting his over proportioned body and sausage shaped fingers, but he didn't think he had ever seen anything so perfect before in his life.
"It's you," she told him with a bright smile as she came to lean against his side and point to what she'd drawn. "Look, I gave ya a necklace."
"It's real good, honey," he grinned. "Did you draw this yourself?"
"Yep!"
"Well, I think I need to put this some place real special then," he told her as he looked around the room for somewhere to place his new treasure.
"What abou' tha fireplace?" she asked quickly. "Ya can put it next ta daddy's card I made him."
"Ya know, I think you could be right, li'l darlin'," he told her when she grabbed his hand and walked towards it. Opening the card a little, he placed it onto the fireplace and stood it upright before he stood back to admire it. "It looks kinda good there, don't ya think?"
"Yep," Caitlin told him quickly as she bounced towards him to throw her arms around his waist. "Do ya wan' one o' me gingerbread men, too?"
"Maybe later, sweetheart," he told her as he bent down to scoop her up again. "I've got a surprise for you now."
"Fer me?" Caitlin gasped as she looked at her father. "Daddy, Uncle Sam's got a surprise fer me."
Sam placed her back onto the floor and watched her surge forward towards his friend, who engulfed her in a tight embrace before he sat down onto the couch and sat back so that she could sit with him.
Sam made his way towards the box and turned to tell Michael what was in the box, but stopped when he saw two sets of identical eyes watching him questioningly. Sitting side by side, there was no mistaking that Michael and Caitlin were father and daughter and he wasn't sure why it struck him with a pang of adoration? now.
Clearing his throat, Sam turned his attention back towards the box and pulled open the flaps to reveal piles of various books. Reaching inside, he pulled one out and lifted it up to show the little girl who slowly left her father's side and crept towards the open box.
"My lady friend at the library thought you might like these. They're all old copies and since they have all new ones—"
"Thay're fer me?"
Caitlin's gasp broke through Sam's words and he suddenly lost all power of speech when his beautiful little niece lifted her eyes up to his in wonder.
"They sure are, sweetheart," he grinned. "I thought you could keep the one's you like and we'll donate the others."
Caitlin nodded as she reached inside the large box and pulled out a battered copy on the Hungry Caterpillar. Her eyes grew wide when she opened the pages before she surged towards him and leaned into his side.
"Will ya read ta me?" she asked excitedly. "We've got this one at school."
"You betcha," he told her affectionately when she held out her hand to help him up. "But don't you want to help your mom and nana with the tree?"
Caitlin thought about it for a few moments before she looked over at the still bare tree. Catching her mother's smile, she glanced down at the book and handed it to Sam before she made her way towards her mother.
"Do ya wan' me ta help ya put tha balls on tha tree mammy?" she asked enthusiastically as she bent to pluck a large golden sphere from the box.
"Of course, baby," Fiona told her brightly. "Maybe when we've finished this Meaghan will be awake and you can help uncle Sam read the book to her too."
"Yessss," Caitlin gasped, her smile widening when she glanced back at the two men who were talking on the couch. "Can we Uncle Sam?"
Upon hearing his name, Sam looked up at her and grinned when she ran towards him only to lean against his knees.
"Can we read ta Meaghan when she wakes up?"
"We sure can, sweetie," Sam told her as he bent to collect a kiss before she scooted off back towards her mother. He watched her for a few more moments until he realised that his friend was watching him with an amused grin. Shrugging his shoulders, Sam plucked his beer bottle from the floor and lifted it to his lips, ignoring the smirk on his friend's face.
"So, your new lady friend is a librarian?" Michael chuckled, his eyes sparking when his friend chose to ignore him. Shaking his head, he shifted forward when Meaghan's babbling voice sounded through the baby monitor.
"You want me to get her?" Sam asked, already in the process of placing his bottle back onto the floor.
"No, it's okay," standing up Michael looked towards the hallway and smiled. "I'll get her."
Sam grinned when his friend hurried away and he found himself drawn to the group of females who were giggling as they draped different coloured ornaments all over the tree. He could see Caitlin standing on tiptoe to reach the higher branches and, since his friend was otherwise occupied, he decided to go and help the little girl reach the top.
She beamed a smile up at him when he came towards her to lift her up. Reaching forward, she hooked the red ornament that was in her hands over a branch and smiled triumphantly when he lowered her back to the floor so that she could pluck out another one.
"Wha' colour shall we have?" she asked him adoringly when she looked up at him.
Fiona caught his eyes and offered him a bright smile as she patted his shoulder affectionately. The two of them had really become good friends since she'd been in Miami and he had been invaluable during everything that had happened with Marie. To see him now, bonding with her eldest daughter, was possibly one of the most adorable things she had ever witnessed.
"Baby, why don't you and Uncle Sam finish decorating the tree so your nana can help me in the kitchen?" Glancing towards Madeline, she smiled when the older woman nodded her approval before she eyed the two people beside her.
Caitlin gasped excitedly and bent to pluck another shiny sphere out of the box and handed it to her uncle.
"Come on, Uncle Sam, let's make it all sparkly fer Meaghan. She hasn' seen a Christmas tree befer."
Her words caused Sam's voice to hitch in his throat and all he could do was pat her on the head as he took the ornament from her hand. He swallowed at the lump in his throat and tried to regain his composure, but for some reason this little girl always seemed to bring out his softer side.
"Sure thing, honey," he finally managed, ignoring Fiona's knowing smile as he coughed to clear his throat. "We'd better get this thing finished quick; your dad's gone to get her."
"Okay," she beamed, her eyes lighting up when she saw her father coming back into the room with her sister. Reaching behind her, she picked up her sister's favourite toy and rushed towards them to hold out the soft grey rabbit to the tiny girl.
"Daddy don' let Meaghan see tha tree until we've got tha lights on," she urged quietly, the seriousness on her face bringing a smile to Michael's lips.
"Okay," he nodded, his gaze catching Sam's, who just shrugged his shoulders in amusement. Lifting Meaghan so that she could lay her head against his shoulder, Michael smiled down at his eldest daughter and combed his fingers through her hair before she ran back to Sam.
Kissing Meaghan's head, he cradled her against him and carried her over towards her play mat and lowered her onto it. The second the baby looked up at all of the dangling objects on her mobile above her, she kicked her legs in excitement and reached up to bat one of the plastic teddy bears with her fingers. Michael watched in fascination when the slightest movement of the toy caused her to coo up at it and he had to wonder how he had made the transition from spy to father without really noticing it was happening.
A warm hand on his shoulder brought his attention up to Fiona when she knelt down beside him on the floor. Leaning against his side, she kissed his shoulder and slipped one of her hands over onto his knee to entwine their fingers together.
"Where's my mom?" he asked softly when he noticed that his mother was no longer in the kitchen. Fiona followed his eyes and smiled before she leaned against him again.
"She's gone outside for a smoke."
"Ahh," he sighed knowingly, his eyes returning to Meaghan.
"This is her first Christmas," Fiona mused wistfully as she gazed down at their baby who was babbling to the plastic teddy bears above her.
"I know…"
"It's also Caitlin's first real Christmas without us having to keep one eye over our shoulder," she whispered as she glanced back to the duo who had almost finished decorating the large tree. "This time it'll be special."
Michael unclasped their hands and moved his arm to reach around her to pull her closer against him. Placing a kiss onto her, temple he smiled against her skin, relishing the feel of her against him.
"It's always special," he told her simply, knowing that she didn't need to hear any other words.
Fiona sighed happily and settled against his chest, content to be surrounded by the people she loved, knowing at last they were free from Marie. Her eyes wandered over to her eldest daughter again and she couldn't help but smile when she saw how the little girl had Sam wrapped around her little finger. The older man was putty in her hands and, whether he realised it or not, seeing them together was utterly charming.
Sam and Caitlin worked in unison, placing various decorations onto the tree until it was covered with shiny tinsel, Santa's, stockings and ornaments. Standing back a little, Caitlin gazed up at the tree in awe before she turned back to see her parents sitting on the floor beside her sister.
"The tree looks beautiful, sweetheart," Madeline beamed a smile at her when she came back into the house and moved towards them.
"Do ya like tha lights?" Caitlin asked excitedly as she reached out to take hold of her hand.
"I do," Madeline told her as she caught Sam's gaze. "You both did a great job."
Michael scooped Meaghan off of the floor and turned her around so that her back was pressed against his stomach while he held her securely so that she could see everything. Caitlin grinned up at him and reached across to stroke her sister's soft cheek.
"Do ya like it?" she asked as she kissed her sister's fingers. "It's all sparkly."
Meaghan grabbed at Caitlin's hand and tried to pull herself forward but Michael held on to her so that Caitlin could continue to hold onto her fingers.
With the twinkling fairy lights and the smells of gingerbread emerging from the kitchen, Fiona suddenly felt her eyes sting with happy tears. This was how the Christmas season should have been when she was younger, but there had always been some kind of incident happening somewhere with her father or her brothers. Taking a deep breath, she smiled and blinked the moisture away as she rested against Michael's side, taking comfort from the warmth of his body.
"Okay," Sam spoke, his voice indicating that he too was feeling just a little overly sentimental. "Did someone mention ginger bread?"
Caitlin grinned up at him and let go of her sister's hand to reach out to clasp onto his fingers.
"Yep," she grinned. "Do ya want ta help me put some icing on?"
"Icing?" he asked, his voice overly enthusiastic. "Lead the way, li'l darlin'."
"Come on, nana," the little girl beamed as she reached out for her grandmother's hand. "Ya want ta do some, too?"
"I would love to, sweetheart," she smiled, her eyes sparkling with adoration for the child who had brought so much love back into her life.
Michael and Fiona watched the three of them make their way into the kitchen before Michael lifted Meaghan and turned her around so that he could place a soft kiss onto her nose. The baby instantly broke out into a smile and giggled up at him when he moved in to kiss her again.
"I love you," Fiona told him suddenly, her words causing him to lift his gaze to hers. "I…"
Reaching forward, he pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss before he slowly pulled back to gaze down at her. Meaghan protested at being nestled between them and reached up to pull on her mother's hair, causing them to reluctantly break apart.
Reaching for the baby, Fiona plucked her from her father and held her in the air only to bring her back down to kiss her cheek noisily before repeating it over and over again. The smile lit Fiona's face as she brought her youngest daughter down to nestle her against her chest as she nestled her lips into her hair.
Michael slipped his arm around her and guided her back to the couch where he sat them both down so that they could spend some quiet time with Meaghan while Caitlin was occupied in the kitchen. Michael leaned in against his wife, content to be bathed in her presence and the love she poured over him.
Kissing her temple, he peppered his lips along her cheek until he came to her ear and whispered those same words of love back to her over and over again until he was sure she understood just how much he meant them. From the kitchen, Caitlin rushed towards them and clambered onto her father's lap before she handed him the cookie she'd make for him and settled back against him as she took her sister's hand.
"Happy Christmas, Meaghan," she smiled, her soft voice earning a squeal from the baby who was already reaching for her.
"She loves you, baby," Fiona told her softly as she leaned down to kiss Caitlin's head. "You're going to have to show her how to open her presents."
"I will," Caitlin gasped excitedly as she shifted so that she could look up at her father. "Do ya want ta know what I asked Santa fer, daddy?"
Michael smiled down at her and tugged her closer as he felt himself melting under the love in her eyes.
"What did you ask for, honey?"
"I asked fer a cat," she beamed. "Do ya think he'll bring me one?"
Michael's mouth opened and closed when he tried to formulate a reply. He had hoped she'd forgotten about cats, but it seemed that she hadn't. He heard Fiona's chuckle beside him and he turned to her incredulously when she found the whole situation highly amusing.
"Baby, I don't think Santa has any room on his sleigh for a cat," she offered, keeping her voice light as she spoke. "Maybe he'll bring you something even better."
"Like what?" Caitlin asked, the disappointment in her voice apparent even through her smile.
Fiona thought for a moment and tucked Meaghan against her chest before she reached out to stroke Caitlin's cheek.
"Well, we won't know until Christmas morning, but I bet it's special."
Caitlin thought about it for a few more moments before a bright smile returned to her face as she jumped down from her father's lap and ran back towards the kitchen, her delighted voice filling the air.
"Uncle Sam…" she called excitedly. "Santa's goin' ta bring me a puppy!"
Michael's mouth dropped open and he turned to his wife to see her eyes sparkling with amusement before she couldn't hold in her laughter any longer.
"We walked right into that one, didn't we?" she grinned as she nestled back against him. "She's good."
Lifting his eyes to watch his daughter chatting happily with his mother and best friend, he knew that whatever the New Year brought them, it was going to be one heck of a ride.
"Yeah," he chuckled as he slipped his arm around his wife's shoulder again. "She's a Westen…"
Fiona sighed happily as she settled back against him to watch their eldest daughter charm the two adults around her once more. Their lives were complete now. They had two little girls and were surrounded by their family and that was all she needed now. Her eyes wandered over towards the fairy lights once more before she snuggled further into her husband's side. This was everything and nothing else mattered any more. Not the past, not Marie, nor the CIA…life was perfect and there was no other Christmas gift that she could have ever wanted more.
"Yes…" she smiled as her gaze returned to her eldest daughter, content to see the bright smile shine from their happy little girl. "That she is…"
END