A/N: This is probably the last in my AU story arc, I'm so glad so many of you have enjoyed reading it; I certainly have enjoyed writing it! :) So I shall be returning you to normal channels after this :P Btw, just so we're all on the same page: this is the day after "Forever." The title is from The Mummy as is the opening line. Hope you like!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, though if I did, I would love for this to have happened.

Death Is Only The Beginning

"Let me guess, spring cleaning?"

Michael raised red eyes to regard DCI Bullen, the officer directly in charge of his safety whilst he was in witness protection. DCI Bullen, a man several years older than Michael, meanwhile, was cheerfully surveying the devastation and was looking far to chip for Michael's liking.

"Just tell me what you came for and go," Michael said bleakly, not moving from his slumped position on the floor.

"Who would have thought you'd be capable of such drama," Bullen continued, bending to pick up the newspaper with Jackie's photograph on the cover. "You of all people should know that things aren't always what they seem."

"I don't understand," Michael replied, in the same bleak tone as he got to his feet and took the newspaper off Bullen.

Bullen's smile almost split his face in half, "I believe you know Anne Rochester*," he said, stepping aside to allow someone else to enter.

For the second time in twenty four hours Michael felt the world shift.

"Anne, this is Jim Wentworth," Bullen said, clearly enjoying himself as he took in their identical expressions of shock. "It is a little unorthodox," he admitted, "but given the mess you've made it seems to have been the right decision," he glanced between them again. "I'll let you be now," he added, still smiling as he left the room.

The sound of the front door closing behind Bullen broke the silence.

"I thought you were dead," Michael began, but she cut him off.

"You thought I was dead? Heaven's above, Michael, I thought I'd lost you years ago, but you were here the whole time," she paused for a moment to shake her head. "I can't believe you didn't trust me with this, why didn't you tell me?" she demanded, sounding terribly hurt.

"It wasn't like I had a choice," Michael defended himself, "I wanted to, Jackie, believe me I wanted to. That's why I left you that message, it was my way of saying good bye...they wouldn't let me do it properly, you had to be able to react naturally."

"I wondered why, if you needed me so desperately, you rang the one place you knew I wouldn't be," she said after a moment, "and didn't try to call me anywhere else." She paused again, "I understand why you did it, but you have no idea how guilty I felt about that message...I felt like I'd let you down."

She looked so upset that Michael wanted nothing more that to take her in his arms, but he sensed now would not be a good time. He settled for words instead: "You could never let me down, Jackie."

"I missed you, so much," she whispered and Michael was horrified to see that she was crying.

This time he didn't even think about it, he enveloped her in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry; I never wanted to hurt you."

He felt her burrow deeper into his embrace, "I know," she said finally, "I'm sorry too, this was just the last thing I was expecting when Bullen said he had a surprise for me."

"At least you had some warning," Michael said drily, making Jackie laugh.

"I suppose so," she sniffed and pulled back a little to look in his eyes. "You know what hurt most?" she asked, Michael shook his head, "Leaving all the memories of you behind, all my photographs...everything."

Michael chuckled a little, "I know what you mean, I managed to save my favourite photo though," he admitted. Jackie raised an eyebrow as Michael broke away from her. Pulling out his wallet he showed her the photo.

He watched as her eyes widened in delighted surprise, "Michael, that's my favourite photo," she looked up at him, blushing slightly. "I wondered where your copy was when we had to clear out your things."

She went on to say something else. Michael, however, wasn't really listening any more, he was thinking about how beautiful she looked, how much he had missed her and how he hadn't felt this happy in years. Without thinking he leaned forward and kissed her, cutting her off midsentence.

He realised what he was doing with a start and pulled away, "Jackie, I'm so sorry...I just...everything...you...I-" she cut him off.

"Michael, just shut up and kiss me," she said, pulling him down for another kiss.

...

Later they sat snuggled up together on the (recently put to rights) couch in companionable silence. "I was wondering," Michael began, breaking the silence, "what were you saying when I kissed you?"

Jackie laughed, "I knew you weren't listening to me," she teased, "I was asking what happened here; it looked like a bomb had gone off."

Michael gave her a guilty grin, "I told you, I thought you were dead."

Jackie shook her head, "You're nuts."

Michael smiled and kissed her forehead before he pulled her a little closer, "Mm, but you love me."

She snuggled closer still, "You're right, I do."

"I love you too," he said, before he kissed her again.

----

*Another favourite literary hero :)

A/N: Did you all seriously think I could kill Jackie off for real? If Michael could survive, so could Jackie! :) The idea with Jackie is that she was a bit mixed up in the case and they were kind of expecting it. Kinda like Alex Cabot in SVU.