A/N: I do not own Burn Notice or its characters. Spoilers for the first part of the finale. No! I still can't believe they did it! I had to do something... Please tell me what you think.
It takes almost a million years after he hears the shot, and until he is able to breath again. A million years , a million thoughts, a million tears...
He hears the shot and it's the most scared he'd ever been. More scared than when he ran desperately towards his brother's body after he got shot, more scared than when he found her floating face down, half drowned, after O'Neil had a go at her and more sacred than during that Christmas when he was ten and found his mother lying bleeding on the floor in her bedroom, after his father almost beat her to death in another one of his benders.
He hears the shot and it's the first time he can see clearly in months. The first time the noise, the hurt, the bitter taste of betrayal are not as strong and there is a tear in the deep darkness that suffocates him. The first time there are no questions, no misgivings, no hesitations, no confusion... There's just her.
He hears the shot and when he looks up she's lying on the floor and her skull is shuttered, and the pool of blood covers the pavement and reaches his shoes.
()()()
It's a single shot. A piercing sound that shakes him to the core, and wakes him up of his stupor, making him jump towards Fiona, more by instinct than as a part of a planned move to protect her from the tempest he'd created in all their lives. He reaches her just before she collapses on the ground, exhausted and scared, and almost lost to him forever.
It's one shot, and after it, he holds her by her shoulders, and buries his face in her hair and asks reverently "are you alright?"
"Michael..." she mumbles, grabbing his shirt with pain "Michael..."
"Are you alright?" he asks again, too afraid to let her go, and not even looking towards the men he hears running from the door towards them "Fi, are you alright?" he almost cries in panic, still crushing her in his arms.
"Michael... I'm fine" she whispers "We're fine. I have you now, Michael. You're safe."
"We need to go, guys" he hears Jesse's voice from above him "the helicopter is almost here."
"Sonya?" he asks in confusion, looking up to see Sam and Jesse standing there looking around them worriedly.
"She's dead, man" Jesse tells him "Sam got her just in time."
He lets go of Fiona a little when he hears this. She lies there in his arms, obviously unharmed, but he can't help but move his hands quickly on her head, her face and her body to make sure "I thought she shot you..." he whispers "I thought I lost you and..."
"We need to go" Jesse shakes him by his shoulder "now!"
()()()
They run towards the door, and Jesse is pushing him first, with his hand on his back, to keep him in track. He can see in the young operative's eyes he still doesn't trust him completely. Still afraid he'll turn his back on them. Even now.
Fiona is right after them, sending him a tight smile when he looks at her guiltily. The time for apologies and explanations will come later. He takes a deep breath, his heart heavy, his soul still tormented, but they are all there, with him and it makes him feel... god, he almost forgot how it feels to be safe.
()()()
The only reason the men on the ground don't shoot them is that the CIA teams are already swarming the area. They hide behind the south east wall, and watch the armed assault on the premises. They hear from above them the steady roar of the helicopter, and they know, James made his landing as planned.
"He's here" Michael mumbles, looking up instinctively.
"James?" she asks, watching him suspiciously.
"I was supposed to grab him. Sonya was supposed to take the helicopter while I turn him in to the CIA."
"Where's the angle?" Fiona looks at him strangely "why would James turn himself in?"
"To let me complete my mission" he looks at her steadily "to keep the organization alive."
"Without a leader?" Jesse asks from behind him "who would be... Sonya? she's the..."
He only presses his lips together, looking in her eyes. "Oh Michael..." she looks at him, her hand goes automatically to her mouth, to prevent the groan than is already escaping her lips.
"I..." he shakes his head, his eyes filled with tears. When he looks away from her, and sees Sam's face, that still carry the marks of their fist fight, he's almost nauseated with shame.
()()()
"We should go now" Jesse says at last "run to the car, and make our escape. We need to go now, before they finish this mess and start looking for us."
"What about James?" She asks, looking at him straight in the eyes "he's still up there. He can still get away."
They all look at him, and he sees the hope in her eyes, the familiar sparkle, the trust, the... love... he thought were lost forever, and then he knows. He knows what he needs to do, and where he needs to go, and he makes his leap. A leap of faith, for friends, for family, for this beautiful, strong and hardheaded woman, who once again pulled him out of the pits of hell, even when he didn't deserve it.
"I don't care" he says, praying she'll believe him "I don't care. I did my part. I risked everything. I gave my soul... I'm done."
"The CIA" Jesse is as always, the one to cross all the t's and dot all the i's "you made a deal..."
"I'm out" he says decisively "I'm done. I..." he looks at her, his heart beating "I'm going home."
()()()
Later they are in Elza's hotel. They make a quick stop to pick up his mother and Charlie, and he's more intimidated by this meeting than he cares to admit. When she grabs him forcefully and holds him in her arms, after what felt like an eternity of loneliness he really hopes she's the only one who notices he is trembling. He drives with Fi and Jesse, and Sam is taking his mother and the kid. When they get to the hotel, Sam disappears immediately in one of the back rooms, and doesn't come back until they each get their own room, according to Elza's instructions. Fiona takes him by the hand, and pushes him into the room, then she pushes him into the bathroom and orders him to clean up.
When he's done, he finds a white robe in the shower, and comes out to find her sitting on the bed, reading the room service menu.
"They don't have yogurt" she tells him without lifting her head "I think I'll order you some chicken and rice and a... what are you doing?" she asks when she finds him standing on his knees in front of her, his hands holding her by her waist.
"I'm sorry" he says desperately, looking up with a plea.
"Michael... There's no need for..."
"I'm sorry, Fi" he says again "I never thought... You were right, all along, and I never..." he can't speak anymore, the tears are choking him, his throat is tight with emotion, he can hardly breathe, because the pain he inflicted on her is still so raw, and she's just sitting there talking about breakfast.
"I know, Michael" she whispers, caressing his cheek "I know you are. I'm sorry, too. I left you, and you were forced to fight your battle alone, and if I stayed, maybe this whole thing wouldn't have..."
"I love you, Fi" he says brokenly, and can almost laugh at the mortified look she sends him "I do" he says desperately "even if you don't believe me. When I thought she shot you, up there on the roof, I almost..."
"Michael, you're tired, you're confused, you should have some..."
"I love you, Fi. I always did, I always will. I just..."
"Michael" she shakes her head.
"You have no reason to believe me, I know" he says hurriedly "and this last year... I'm so sorry, I should have listened. I should have never taken the risk of loosing you..."
"Michael" she smiles, playing with his wet hair between her fingers "there's no need."
"Take me back" he says suddenly.
"What?"
"Take me back. Give me another chance. I'll prove to you that I love you, I'll go anywhere, I'll do anything, I'll even marry you if you want..."
"Marry me?" she looks at him skeptically "honestly Michael, I think Sam's punch made some damage to your head."
"Fiona" he tightens his hold on her "I'm serious."
She only looks at him, all blushed, and earnest, his beautiful blue eyes looking at her with anticipation and hope. She moves her thumb gently over his eyebrow, ghosting over the scar made by his cruel childhood, and she knows there's no way to deny this.
"I love you too, Michael" she tells him quietly "you know I do. I believe in you. I trust you. Promise me, you'll never make me doubt you again..."
"I promise" he nods seriously.
"Good" she smiles kindly, moving her tongue slowly on her lips "now, you have to go make up with Sam. You really pulled one on him, he's upset, and you know I can't stand him when he's cranky."
His eyes darken when she says it. She can see the pain and guilt he feels the moment she mentions his best friend's name. She holds him under his chin and tilts his head towards her again gently "he loves you, you are his best friend. He'll always be there for you, and he saved my life shooting Sonya. Saved both our lives, by doing it. He always has your back, he'll understand." He nods towards her reassuringly, but she can still see the uncertainty on his face "you know what?" She whispers, pushing herself back on the bed, and pulling him above her.
"What?" he looks at her curiously, when she lies down and starts to open the belt of his robe.
"I think your apology to Sam can wait a little. It's been a long time since we were alone together. Before I take you back... I need to make sure you're still..."
His kiss cuts her off. His clever hands working on her clothes while his mouth captures her lips and moves slowly and hungrily over her neck and breasts make her lose her train of thoughts completely. When his fingers wonder under her underwear, to touch her like no other man ever could, it takes a few minutes before he has her squirming under him on the bed, moaning in sweet agony, while he keeps telling her with his body all the things he'd told her, and much much more.
()()()
He finds Sam at the poolside. After lying for a couple of hours watching Fiona sleeping exhaustingly in his arms, he kisses her head gently and slips out of bed. He puts on his clothes and walks out of the room, moving slowly towards his best friend's favorite place.
When he arrives there, and walks towards the old Navy SEAL, he can hear his pulse roaring in his ears, and feel the sweat trickle down his spine.
"Sam?" he says quietly, standing in front of the most loyal friend he had ever had.
"Mike" the cordial answer comes after a while, as the older man watches him carefully from behind his drink.
"Sam, I..."
"It was a close one" he says before he has a chance to say anything else.
"W-what?"
"We almost lost you there, brother" he explains "but we have you back now."
"Sam, I know I've hurt you. I let you down. I'm sorry."
"You let that creep into your head, and you got a little... confused" he shrugs "we all know you can't handle deranged murderous bastards very well, you never could... I mean, look at Larry..."
"Sam, I should have listened to you, you tried to show me the way, I'm sorry. I was..."
"The only thing you should be sorry for is talking so much and making me drink a warm mojito." he informs him.
"I'm sorry" he smiles, feeling the tension disappears from his shoulders.
"Sit down brother" Sam laughs "I'll buy you a beer and you can tell me all about it..."