Disclaimer: I still don't own Burn Notice unfortunately. If I did, Fiona wouldn't be wherever she is right now…sob…
A/N: This is very different for me. It's about as fluffy as you'll ever get from me and I don't do fluff! But as a thank you to all of you lovely people who take the time out to read my stories, this is my Christmas gift to all of you.
Thanks as always to my lovely friends Purdy's Pal and DaisyDay for reading through parts of this for me.
This is set some time after the season 5 finale.
One final note. I would like to recommend a beautiful story, 'The end's Not Here' by the wonderful Haunted-Eternity. It is a beautiful piece of work and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Lady in Red
Michael adjusted his shirt collar again and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He wasn't a big fan of these family dinners that his mother always insisted he attended. He would have much preferred to go to her house instead of a fancy restaurant but he knew Fiona deserved this kind of attention after everything she had been through.
His mother had never made it a secret that she loved Fiona and she was overjoyed that she was back home with him again after her temporary incarceration. His mother had called every day since Fiona had been home but she didn't seem to understand that he wanted to spend as much time alone with Fiona as he could.
Moving his fingers to his shirt he lifted the collar and held two ties up to the light trying to decide which one to wear. Sighing heavily he slipped one around his neck and fought to remember again why he had agreed to this. His mother's voice echoed around inside his head when she had insisted that they both had to wear formal dress to the restaurant.
"Dress nice and stop dragging your feet. Show that girl you love her, Michael."
"What's wrong?" Fiona's voice drifted from the bathroom as she slowly emerged to come into his direct line of sight.
Michael's eyes were drawn to her instantly and he suddenly felt his mouth dry up. She was absolutely stunning and he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. She was wearing a long red gown with a slit up one side and looking every bit as beautiful as she had the first day he'd met her.
Without thinking he started to move towards her and met her half way before she could come any further. Her eyes met his and she lowered her gaze, suddenly feeling shy by the raw desire in his eyes.
"Let me do that for you," she told him with a smile as she took the edges of the tie to expertly fasten it all together. Sliding her hands for the front of his shirt she caught the look in his eyes and suddenly felt very subconscious.
"Is it too much?" she asked softly as she glanced down her body. "Your mother was pretty vague on the phone."
"No, Fi…" stepping closer he reached out to place a finger beneath her chin to lift her face up so that he could look into her eyes. "You look beautiful."
Before she could come up with any kind of answer he stepped even closer and lowered his lips to hers in a soft kiss before pulling away again.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked him quickly when his fingers skimmed her shoulders. "I know you don't like these family things."
Michael's hands stilled as he met her apprehensive gaze. He couldn't even describe to her how much he wanted to stay here in the loft and remove the dress that covered her body. She was so intoxicating but there was a small part of him that wanted to witness for himself the envious glances of other men.
Leaning forward he pressed a kiss to her forehead and drew back to smile down at her. "I don't but my mom was insistent..."
"But…"
"Shhhh," he whispered again, silencing her with another kiss before pulling away. He still marvelled about how beautiful she was and how he'd managed to fall in love with her all over again.
"What did you have in mind?" she grinned beautifully as she snaked her arms around his neck enticingly.
Wrapping his arms around her he pulled her closer into his body and placed tiny kisses into her hair before moving back slightly so he could look into her eyes.
"Maybe we can skip this thing?"
They gazed at each other adoringly before she leant in to press a soft kiss onto his lips only to pull away to smile up at him. "Don't you think they'll miss us?"
"Do you care?" he asked with a teasing smile.
"Well…this dress did cost a fortune!" she grinned before placing another kiss onto his lips, this time lingering for a few seconds more than the previous one. Pulling away again she threaded her fingers through his hair before closing the tiny gap between then to kiss him again.
Michael couldn't help it, her touch always rendered him powerless and when she ran her tongue delicately over his bottom lip, begging for entry, he readily complied.
He pulled her closer, his need to feel her against him overpowering every other thought in his mind. "Fi…" he whispered in between kisses, "Fi...I…"
"…Mmm…" she moaned against his lips, "…me…too…"
Michael's lips left hers to kiss a blazing trail of fire down and across her throat, before kissing his way back up towards her lips.
"We should…" he managed when her lips hungrily sought out his again while she urged his body backwards until they both sank down onto the edge of the bed.
"We have time," she gasped, taking his words from his lips.
Any form of protest that formed in his mind was quickly scattered into the air when his body took over
Fiona's hand slid along his upper body, her fingers pulling at his shirt buttons until his skin was exposed beneath her touch. She still marvelled at how much she craved him and found herself wishing that their life could be like this all the time, where they didn't face danger every day. Moving off of him slightly, she adjusted her weight and pressed an arm into the soft mattress to lift herself up.
She could feel the burning heat rising up inside her body, and she realised that she desperately needed to see him. She drank in the sight of him, her eyes memorising every inch of his bare torso. Her hands joined in the worship of his body, all the way up until she reached his face. She lifted herself up higher, putting all weight on her knees so that she should gaze down at him.
"We have time," she whispered again when their lips parted briefly only to seal together just as quickly, the delicate touch becoming more demanding with every passing second.
Wordlessly, they came together, their lips drifting closer as the magnetic pull between them fused them as one. The gentleness of their kiss slowly became more demanding and the embers of passion began to flare into smouldering flames once more. Hopelessness and pure need fuelled them further, along with the deep set longing that had kept them together for so many years. As Michael slowly sank back into the mattress he took her with him, wrapping his arms around her as their lips met once more…
000
Fiona glanced dubiously at the building where they were supposed to be meeting everyone before she looked back at the man beside her. In all the time she had been in Miami he had never taken her anywhere like this. Usually she was lucky if they made it to Carlito's to eat, but this…
"Are you sure this is the right place?" she asked worriedly when he parked the charger close to the entrance. "This looks expensive."
Michael turned to smile at her as he reached out for her hand, slipping his fingers in between hers. Bringing their joined hands up to his lips he pressed a soft kiss against her knuckles before releasing her to open the door and climb out.
Fiona shook her head with amusement when he almost ran around to her side and pulled open the door before she could open it herself. She felt her cheeks grow warm with the way he was gazing down at her as he offered her his hand, helping her out of the car. Ever since she had returned from her short prison stay he had been a changed man. He was more considerate and she couldn't go far without him needing to touch her.
Wrapping her fingers around his, she smiled up at him and stepped out of the charger to stand before him. A cool breeze swept around her and she shivered slightly when she caught his eyes. He was watching her with such intensity that she had to lower her gaze. Whatever had happened before seemed so insignificant compared to the attention he was showering upon her. She couldn't remember a time when she had felt so completely consumed by him.
"Michael?" she asked questioningly when he pulled her closer towards him to place a kiss onto her cheek, breaking his own rule of no public displays. "Is everything okay?"
"What?" he asked a little too quickly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders to pull her against him. "Yeah, everything's okay…why wouldn't it be?"
Shaking her head Fiona watched him dubiously before she stopped moving to bring him to a halt beside her.
"You're acting strange…what's going on?"
"Nothing," he shook his head and started to move, pulling her towards the entrance before she could stop him again.
As soon as they walked through the restaurant door Fiona was taken aback by the décor inside. She hadn't seen anything this fancy since they were in Paris a few years ago but before she could ask him how his mother had found a place like this, he tugged on her hand.
"We have a family reservation," he told the Maitre d' when he nodded his head in greeting.
"Ah yes, Mr and Mrs. Westen," he smiled. "We've been expecting you. If you'd like to follow me."
Fiona's eyes grew wide when Michael didn't correct the man who was walking in front of them and she was starting to find this whole thing a little surreal. Squeezing his hand she urged him to look back at her but when he turned back to cast her an adoring smile, everything she was going to say to him just fell away.
"Here we are," the Maitre d' told them when he led them to a large table where they were greeted by Madeline, Sam and Jesse.
"Fiona," Madeline beamed as she came around the table to engulf the younger woman in a tight embrace. "It's so good to see you, sweetheart."
Fiona relished the feel of Madeline's arms around her, holding on tight until she slowly started to pull away. She hadn't seen much of Michael's mother since she had got back but that hadn't been out of choice. Michael had been keeping her selfishly to himself and as much as she liked the attention, she had missed her makeshift family more than she realised.
Madeline offered her a watery smile as she took a hold of her hand and moved back towards the table, stopping only when Michael pulled Fiona's chair out for her to sit down.
Fiona was overwhelmed by all of the attention, especially when Jesse reached across the table to fill up her empty wine glass. Smiling in thanks she wrapped her fingers around the long glass stem before she met Sam's eyes. He was strangely quiet and she suspected it had a lot to do with their last encounter at the loft. She could see the guilt etched in his eyes and she knew that was her fault too. Sam had kept his promise not to tell Michael the truth, and for that she would be forever grateful.
Offering him a warm smile she mouthed a silent thank you and was relieved when he grinned back. These two weeks she had been back had been a complete whirlwind that had banished her time away to the back of her mind. She tried not to think of the nightmares that still clung to her in the sleeping hours, the weight of them dragging her down. So many times she had awoken from another barrage of darkened images that almost brought her to tears, but having Michael's warm body beside her just seemed to cast them away.
Neither Michael nor herself had mentioned the letter she'd left for him but she knew by his actions that he had felt every word. He hadn't told her he loved her back but she didn't need to hear the words. He showed her he loved her with every touch he bestowed upon her. She could see it in his eyes and she knew that her sacrifice to save him from Anson's grasp hadn't been in vain.
Lifting her glass to her lips she took a sip of her wine and let the liquid burn her throat when she swallowed it down. Having her family around her had caused a well of emotions to cascade throughout her body and when the sudden sting of tears sprang to her eyes she quickly blinked them away before anyone noticed.
She had missed this. Being a part of a family that had come together through unlikely means, but had at the same time forged a bond far stronger than anything she'd ever experienced. Taking another sip of wine, the warmth of the alcohol warmed her from the inside out and quelled every ounce of sadness from her mind.
The man beside her reached out under the table and found her hand with his own, squeezing her fingers. When she turned towards him to see the love radiating from his eyes, she knew she was right where she needed to be…by his side.
000
"So Fi," Sam asked later when they had all finished with their meals and dipped into light hearted conversation. "Could you kinda not do the disappearing act again any time soon? Mikey here was driving us nuts!"
"SAM!" Madeline scolded, staring at him with a thunderous glare before she turned to pat Fiona's hand. "But Sam's right, he was a mess without you honey."
Michael clasped Fiona's hand in his and shrugged his shoulders when she turned to look at him questioningly. She broke out into a wide smile when he blushed slightly. He was the most adorable man she had ever known and when she felt him lean into her arm, she knew she could never love him more than she did right now.
"What do you say Jesse?" Sam's voice broke through their romantic haze, drawing them apart. "Kinda good to have Tinkerbell back ain't it?"
"Sure is," Jesse grinned as he lifted his wine glass to his lips before he nodded his head at Fiona, indicating the man beside him. "I don't think it was just Mike who missed you Fi!"
Fiona smiled at Michael before she turned towards Sam and shook her head. "Aww Sam," she beamed. "Did you miss me?"
"Hey don't put words in my mouth sister!" He told her with a mock glare as he lifted his beer off of the table.
"Don't be disgusting," she snapped back as she picked up her wine glass and held it out towards him to clink it against his bottle. "I won't be putting anything near your mouth, not now or ever, Sam!"
"Amen to that sister," he grinned.
Michael shook his head incredulously when his best friend slipped into the familiar light banter he had always shared with Fiona. For the first time in the last few years he actually welcomed their little sparring match. Whatever had been bothering Sam since Fiona's incarceration had suddenly disappeared and he couldn't help but smile. Now more than ever he knew that everything was going to be okay.
"So Fi, what are your plans now that you're back?" Madeline asked as she laid her hand on Fiona's arm.
"I haven't really had time to think about it," she told the older woman honestly. "I guess we take on clients again…"
"So soon?" Madeline shook her head and opened her mouth ready to scold her son for taking this beautiful woman for granted when Jesse's voice interrupted her.
Ignoring Madeline's glare, Jesse cleared his throat and leaned across the table to refill everyone's glasses. Holding his own glass in the air he motioned for all of them to do the same.
"Welcome back Fi," he told her with a smile as everyone repeated the words to clink the glasses together. "It's good to have you home."
"It's good to be home," she told him warmly as she gravitated towards the man beside her. This had been a good idea even though she had been apprehensive about it. She sat back and watched the people she loved, content to listen to their light banter. She had missed this.
"Are you okay?" Michael asked her softly as he squeezed her hand when he noticed how quiet she was.
Lifting her eyes to his she took refuge in his gaze. Her time away from him had shaken her to the core and she had tried to prepare for the possibility that she would never see him again. She couldn't bring herself to tell him how many nights she had laid awake just thinking about him, or how she had sunk into the deepest despair.
"I'm fine," she told him softly as she lifted the palm of her hand to his face and stoked his cheek with her thumb.
Michael too had forgotten the people around them as he focused on her eyes. There were so many nights when he'd feared that he would never have any more moments like this but here he was, living his second chance with her and he wasn't ever going to waste it.
His mother's chatter disappeared into the background and he glanced over at the three other couples who had made their way towards the small dance floor. He could see Fiona's eyes follow his and with a silent nod she smiled and allowed him to take her hand as he helped her to stand.
Sam and Jesse's light conversation died away as they both stopped talking to watch their two friends leave the table without looking back at them.
"Well would ya look at that," Sam grinned, tapping Jesse's shoulder in surprise.
"He missed her," Madeline's voice broke the silence when none of them could take their eyes off of the couple on the dance floor who swayed in time with the music. They were completely oblivious to the small audience that watched them and Madeline could already feel her eyes brimming with pride.
"Yeah, he did," Sam nodded sadly as he picked up his bottle to take a long swig. He couldn't seem to escape the guilt of that day even though he'd known Fiona had been right. Helping her turn herself in hadn't been one of the highlights of his life and having to watch his friend sink deeper into despair without her made his guilt all the more worse.
"Oh my," Jesse's voice broke through his thoughts, snapping his attention back to him. Sam's eyes followed his friend's gaze as they both watched on in silence while Madeline leaned forward to wrap her fingers around Sam's arm.
On the dance floor, Michael had slowed down to an almost stop before he leaned down and pressed a kiss onto her lips before he traced his fingers up and down her arms.
"Fi," her name slipped from his lips when he leaned his forehead next to hers. "Fi…"
Her breath caught in her throat when she could feel the emotions of the last few months wash over her. Moving closer she dropped her head to his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. Sometimes she wondered if this was all some beautiful dream and she would soon awaken in her cold and lonely cell again.
Lifting her head she kissed the underside of his chin before she smiled up at him. The look in his eyes took her breath away. She couldn't ever remember seeing him look so distracted and when she lifted one of her hands to stroke his face he turned his head to kiss her palm before enclosing his fingers around hers.
"Marry me," he whispered suddenly, taking her by surprise.
Fiona's mouth opened in shock as she suddenly stopped moving and stared up at him. "I…you… what—"
"Marry me," he asked her again, this time reaching into his pocket to take out a silver diamond ring. He watched her eyes grow bright when he lifted her left hand to slip the ring onto her finger.
Over at the table Jesse's face became one big smile as he looked to Sam in disbelief. "Did he just—"
"I think he did," Sam shook his head as a wide grin spread across his face. "I'll be damned… he finally did it!"
"I've got to call Nate," Madeline gasped as she fumbled through her purse for her phone before she had to abandon her task because of her blurred eyes. Swiping at the moisture cascading over her cheeks she couldn't help but sit back and smile proudly at her son who had finally stepped over into the threshold of commitment.
Fiona's eyes dropped down to the ring before she looked back up at him, her face merging into a smile. "You remembered?"
"Asscher cut diamond," he grinned. "Yes, I remembered."
"But…" Shaking her head she lost all power of speech when she saw the love shining in his eyes. Stepping closer she smoothed her hands up his chest, glancing at the sparkling diamond on her finger before she moved towards him to catch his lips with hers.
"Is that a yes?" He asked breathlessly when they broke apart. Leaning his forehead against hers he broke out into a wide smile when she nodded her head.
"Yes," she whispered as her voice caught in her throat. "Yes…"
The End