Michael Weston stared outward, at a distant country and time. The edges of his mouth twitched with the desire to smile, but he lacked the energy. Being almost blown up did that to a person. It drained the world of colors and brought similar memories to the surface. Too many to count usually, this time only one past moment replayed over and over in his mind.
Fiona GlennAnn haloed by a fireball of explosive - the ground rushing up to meet them both from the force of the hot air - Irish accents talking in the gray other-world that had surrounded them both in the aftermath. Fiona GlennAnn.
Michael wondered why her name always came to his mind in potentially fatal situations. Could it be that he truly loved her and wanted to be with her instead of running around getting blown up by random bad guys? Perhaps. Maybe he just wanted her to be with him at the end - no, he would never want that. That would put her in too much danger.
Bright blue eyes twinkled in the heat of the thought. Fiona.
She would smile, laugh in the face of Death and then walk into the forever-after with chin held high. Michael had no doubt. She would kick ass in the Afterlife and probably make her way back to haunt a few Arms Dealers for good measure. Still. He did not want this life for her, always wondering when the end would come. Fearing every turn of the ignition in every car or the opening of every door.
The ex-spy laughed dryly, no humor in the sound, as he turned his gaze back to the present. An ache in his shoulder made him wince. There was no changing what they were now. That moment had come and gone long before either knew the other existed. Now all they had left to do was enjoy what time they had together. That miracle of Time.
He heard the door open and knew the footsteps, the sound of her breathing. He could almost feel her skin when she paused to lean against the doorway. He smiled and turned. Energy was never a problem when Fiona was in the room.
"Hey, Fi." Michael greeted.
Their eyes met and silent messages filled the minutes. She was worried and he was no longer. Her presence calmed his nerves and gave him new life.
"Hi, Michael." She finally responded, her voice warbling almost imperceptibly with feeling. "I'm glad you're okay."
-THE END