Disclaimer: Burn Notice doesn't belong to me unfortunately

A/N Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, PM'd and favoured my previous stories. I know I say this every time but I do really appreciate every single one of you.

Thank you also to Purdy's Pal, DaisyDay and JediSkysinger for reading through this for me.

This is a one shot based on 6x08

The last few hours she had proved to Michael that she was no shrinking violet and she wasn't about to become the little woman who stayed at home.

Everlasting

Fiona kept her eyes on the man standing opposite her and let her eyes wander over his body. Since she'd been released from prison he'd been overly protective of her and his actions, even though they were appreciated, they were also becoming a little annoying.

Propping her face up in the palm of her hand she listened to Jesse as he shuffled the papers that he'd brought over with him and allowed her mind to wander. The last few hours she had proved to Michael that she was no shrinking violet and she wasn't about to become the little woman who stayed at home.

After his first outburst earlier that morning she'd almost lost it completely and dissolved into tears but she'd managed to keep herself in check. She knew he was terrified of losing her; he'd voiced it on more than one occasion but she'd tried to put his mind at rest despite his irrational fears. So she'd left him to stew and made her way down stairs to wait in the car while she'd tried to pull herself together.

It had taken him all of five minutes to come down and join her, his movements deliberately slow when he sat in the car beside her. For a few moments all she could hear was the beating of her own heart and she was starting to think that he was going to slip back into his old ways, but to her immense surprise he didn't.

"I'm sorry," he told her softly as he stared straight ahead, his voice shaking slightly when he spoke.

Fiona turned her head towards him and she could already feel her heart breaking for him when he looked so completely lost. Swallowing the lump in her throat she reached across the seat and laid her hand over his.

"I need you to trust me, Michael," she told him softly when she felt his hand turn beneath hers so that they were palm to palm. "Do you trust me?"

His face transformed before her and she could see every ounce of pain emanating from his eyes.

"With my life."

Fiona nodded, feeling the ache in her chest constricting her breathing as she pressed him further, needing him to give her more. Squeezing his hand she could already feel her eyes melting into his gaze when she whispered, "Do you love me?"

Michael's eyes widened before they unexpectedly flooded with emotion. Moving his other hand he brought it up to cover their joined hands and cradled them together before he swallowed hard. His voice dropped to a shaky whisper and for a moment Fiona thought he wasn't going to answer but he surprised her again when he looked right into her eyes.

"You know I do…"

"Okay," she told him shakily, her own eyes filling with tears. "Then let me be by your side."

For a few moments they watched each other before he unexpectedly moved forwards to press his lips to hers. The kiss was soft and chaste but when he pulled away he could see that she was affected by it just as much as he was.

"Always…"

When Jesse handed the papers to Michael and said his goodbyes Fiona focused on her boyfriend until she heard the door click shut. Shifting on her seat she watched him for a few more moments before she caught his attention. Getting to her feet she offered him a coy smile.

"You know, the job was hell, but you probably could have managed it without me…"

"Fi…" he sighed, keeping his eyes fixed on the pages in front of him.

"You didn't really need my help," she continued, knowing she had already won this argument long ago.

"Fi," he sighed. "You can stop now—"

Moving up behind him she slipped her arms around him and rubbed her cheek against his back before she spoke again.

"I could have just stayed home…"

"I'm glad that you came," he told her then, closing his eyes when he relished the feel of her against him. Glancing back down at the papers he felt her shift again and tried not to think of how much he had missed her. She was the one bright light in his world and she had always been his anchor, it had just taken him to lose her to realise it.

"You know," she smiled as she nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder blade. "There's something else I'd like to show you that you can't do without me…"

Realisation dawned in his eyes and his heart stirred inside his chest. Turning around in her arms, the smile she bestowed him weakened his knees as he came to her, totally consumed with love. His eyes gazed over her body in appreciation and he finally understood that he'd known she was the only woman for him all those years ago. She was so beautiful…

"Fiona…" he sighed her name as he pulled her into his arms, holding her against his body. "I don't want to lose you again."

Her arms tightened around him as she moulded her body into his, trying desperately to reassure him with her touch. "You won't," she promised, kissing his chest s she spoke. "I'm here."

His hands slid up her back to come around to her face, cupping her cheeks in his hands as he smiled down into her eyes. He knew he could never get enough of her despite what he'd always told her. Leaning forward he pressed his lips to hers, aiming to keep his touch light but Fiona was having none of it. Stepping even closer her hands moved up his chest and around his neck, pulling him closer as she opened her mouth beneath his. Her kisses had always been able to render him defenceless and her passionate coaxing almost always caused his knees to buckle beneath him.

With a groan he met her tongue, deepening their kiss into a soul shattering expression of how much he loved her.

She sank into him, moving closer as his arms snaked around her body to lift her onto the counter top, all thoughts of investigating temporarily forgotten as his hands roamed over her skin.

His lips left hers to travel to her neck to press soft kisses over her flesh. She leaned back, giving him better access to her throat as her hands clawed at his back, holding her to him desperately as he brought a wave of passion to surge throughout her body. She hummed his name when his hands slid up her thighs before he dipped forward to seal his lips to hers again.

Fiona was lost in him and she fumbled with the button on his pants, desperate to feel all of him against her as she pushed at the cloth barrier between them. Without warning she tore her lips from his to throw her head back in a strangled gasp as he tormented her with his touch. Her eyes fluttered closed as he caused wave after wave of sensual ripples to flow throughout her body. She was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe, and blindly reached for him, needing his lips against hers once more.

Michael shuddered against her, his concentration shattering around him as she surged forward to mash her mouth to his in a powerful kiss that left both of them needing more. Shifting closer, his hands skimmed over her body before he pulled her closer to him to lift her off of the counter. Keeping his hold he met her mouth in another searing kiss when he turned, carrying her in the general direction of the bed.

When his knees caught the edge of the bed they both tumbled forward onto the mattress in a mix of tangled lips and limbs, but neither of them broke away from the other. Pushing at each other's clothes they parted lips long enough only to push the material away to leave them both totally bare. Sighs followed kisses and whimpers merged into gasps when they came together once more, solidifying their union.

Fiona clung to him desperately as he brought her closer and closer to oblivion; taking everything he gave her only to return it in wholehearted surrender. When they eventually both tumbled over the edge they held onto each other, wrapped in one another's arms as the tremors slowly began to subside.

Their lips met again, each kiss symbolizing another surge of love that coursed its way between them. They had found each other so long ago, brought together in an unconventional way, only now there were no obstacles, all the barriers had gone.

When their lips finally parted, she smiled as she pressed her forehead to his…their ragged breath slowly easing away as he pulled her into a powerful embrace. Without her he was only half a man, someone who couldn't exist if she wasn't with him. He knew that now. He'd fallen in love with her all those years ago and the love they shared had never died, despite all the times they had been apart.

Manoeuvring backwards, somehow they managed to pull the duvet back and ease themselves beneath the covers, only to reach for each other almost instantly. Fiona laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes in utter contentment; she had missed this.

"Close your eyes," she whispered into his shoulder as she nuzzled her cheek against his skin. "Sleep now..."

"Mmm," he mumbled softly, his voice humming when she continued to stroke his skin with her fingertips. "You too..."

Turning her head she placed a kiss onto his chest before she settled herself against him again, listening to his breathing evening out when he slowly relaxed beneath her. Since she'd been home she knew that he hadn't slept through the night and she doubted he slept about as well as she had when she was in prison.

Closing her eyes she listened to the steady rhythm of his heart beat and felt herself slipping away, exhaustion creeping around her. Taking a deep breath she let it out slowly and allowed his warmth to surround her as she fought off the cusp of sleep, wanting to hold onto him while she was still awake because she knew all too soon they would be plunged into uncertainty again.

His voice startled her and she lifted her head to see his eyes open, his gaze fixed on the top of her head.

"Go to sleep, Fi," he whispered as he loosened his arms so she could move against him and tuck her head beneath his chin.

"Kay," she whispered, her breath warming his skin when she settled against him and closed her eyes. When she felt his arms move over her torso pulling her tighter against him she smiled to herself when she realised she had never felt so completely loved by him before. She hadn't verbalised the words since she'd been in prison but for some reason she felt the burning need to tell him, even though he already knew.

Feeling her shift against him, Michael opened his eyes and glanced down at her again before he skimmed his fingers over her shoulders.

"Fi…"

"I love you Michael," she whispered softly, the words breaking free to leave her feeling strangely liberated. Smiling to herself she closed her eyes again as she relaxed against him not expecting a response, so when his hand stilled on her arm and he manoeuvred their bodies so that they were lying side by side facing each other, she wondered if maybe she shouldn't have said it so soon.

She watched him worriedly when he looked at her, his eyes skimming over her face. Opening her mouth she was about to ask him what was wrong when he moved forward to cover her lips with his, rendering her powerless.

When he slowly pulled away he brushed a strand of hair away from her face before he moved forward and held his forehead against hers.

"Fi…I…" closing his eyes, he opened them just as quickly and smiled down at her before he kissed her again. "…love you…"

Fiona's breath caught in her throat and she suddenly felt completely giddy. Every ounce of tiredness suddenly disappeared as she moved forwards, kissing him with everything she possessed, forcing him onto his back. With catlike grace she crawled closer and straddled his body as she smiled down at him adoringly before she lowered her lips to his one more time, knowing that sleep was the furthest from her mind…

The End