While I was posting the last chapter, I had no idea the news that'd be coming the same day! Burn Notice is officially ending this season! :( Although we all knew it was gonna happen, it's still sad to think this is gonna be the end! I have had already one Happy Ending this year with Chuck and Blair from Gossip Girl; I can only hope Michael and Fiona will do the same! Oh my God, what am I saying, of course it's gonna happen! :)
Like I promised last time, there's two more chapters of this story, this being one of them! I originally wrote one long chapter…Until I realized this was gonna be 8,000 words! UGH! I have some bonus pieces I'm thinking about doing during the last season, but until then, we got the end of this! Who knew Elizabeth's Birth would be so soon! :)
Moment Of Change
For the last couple of weeks, she has laid in bed and relished in the feeling of their Daughter moving and stretching inside of her. It isn't really nudges or flutters, more like rolls and twists; Like their little Girl is reassuring her Mother to the idea the dreams she once had jail were only preludes to impending reality. People say there are moments which change you and set the course of your life. Sometimes, they're subtle; Others, they're big ones you never saw coming. She has experienced many of these moments before; Several more sad than happy. Nevertheless, they have been centered on one Man and the dysfunctional, yet whirlwind, relationship the two of them have shared.
This, and the ten hours leading up, is one of those.
10:15 pm-March 6, 2014…
"Michael." She sighs, the picture of composure.
Her Husband gazes up from his phone towards the door frame of the bathroom where she's standing. She is wearing a black nightgown, pulled taut over her chest and lower abdomen. She seems okay, minus the spot of toothpaste on the corner of her lips; However, it's the hesitancy in her voice which makes him nervous. He throws his cell onto the nightstand. "What is it, Fi?"
"I need you to do something for me." She starts, her tone veiling a fear he can't place. He stands, ready to form words of relief when she holds up a hand, stopping him from doing so. She continues to walk in the room, acting like a Woman treading in a mine field, "I need you to promise me you will be calm." He raises an eyebrow, his brain forming a thousand different scenarios possibly causing his Wife's demand for composure. Seeing the wheels moving inside of his head, she figures she should tell him, "Remember our plan?"
She is hoping to project what she's trying to say, but is failing at it. Her Husband is near panic by the time she sits down on his side of the cot, the uncertainty threatening to drive him through the floor with its weight. "Our plan?"
She ignores his repetition. "If the puddle in the bathroom is any indication, along with my stomach being hard like a rock…" She places his palm on the curve in her lower abdomen, "…Our plan is a bit shot to Hell."
It is then he understands the tension in his Wife's jaw, the way she's grasping the duvet with White knuckles, her face contorting in pain. Immediately, he crouches down to her level, no care in the World given to his pajama bottoms. "No, no, no." He insists, his fingers fumbling for his cell, "It's too soon."
"The Doctor said this is considered "Full Term."." She explains, exhaling once the cramping subsides, "A bit undercooked, sure, but…Our Daughter is already calling the shots." She takes a deep breath, holding it while her Husband is quickly overwhelmed, "Stop…" She whispers, pulling him back towards her, reading him like a book, "…You're gonna go grab the old sheets, I'm gonna go call Laura and your Mom, and we are gonna have our little Girl."
12:30 am-March 7, 2014…
A couple of hours later, she's lying in their bed attached to the portable Fetal Monitor that's checking the Baby's heartbeat. She is a lot calmer since the Doctor arrived at the loft, even though she's getting contractions every five to ten minutes; Come to find out, the back spasms she has had all day were actually the beginning of Labor. Her eyes are shut when another contraction goes through her body, her hand clutching his tightly. He's sitting in his favorite Green chair and hasn't moved. It is difficult for him to see his Wife in pain; Nonetheless, he is determined to be there for her while she gives Birth to their Child.
"Are you okay?" He asks gently, her palm relaxing in his own.
She opens up, giving him a small smile. "Do you believe we had Laura rush to get here and now nothing's happening?"
"I'm sure Ellie feels the same way." He quips, caressing the bump in her stomach with his other hand.
"Well, it seems she's already like me in the persistence department." She quips back, "I was born two hours after Sean."
He laughs lightly; Amazed she still has a sense of humor left. "Have you changed your mind about naming her after my old cover?"
"Of course not." She scoffs, "Although, I think we should accept the fact no matter what we call her, she is gonna be a Clone of both of us."
Just then, Madeline rushes into the apartment, looking extremely stressed. "I have called Nate and Ruth and they're trying to get the next flight out here; Apparently, Las Vegas is getting hit with massive rain." She says, "So, providing you don't have the Baby between now and then, things should run smoothly."
"I can't really tell our Daughter when to come, Maddie." She responds, glancing down at the curvature that's her lower abdomen, "Labor is gonna go how it wants to go, whether the time is convenient or not."
"Okay…" The Grandmother retorts, "…But tell Elizabeth she's gonna have to hold off on making an appearance for at least four hours, God willing!"
"Dani told you about her name, didn't she?" The Redhead huffs.
Madeline shrugs nonchalantly. "I may have threatened to kick her and Jesse out of the garage."
"Like you would do it." Her oldest Son chimes in, "You love having them at the house."
"True; However, I can be very convincing." She replies with a smirk, "Can I get you Guys anything?"
"No, Ma, we're good." He murmurs, "Get some sleep."
Maddie nods in agreement, hurrying through the door of the loft and writing on the note pad the two of them notice she has been holding. Husband and Wife look at each other in confusion. "She is acting like we're hosting her Canasta game rather than having her Grandchild."
"That's my Mother for you; She always has to have everything…" His words are cut off while she feels another spasm and cries in pain, this being the worst contraction so far. He jumps from of his seat in terror, trying to stay composed. The truth is, with each spasm she is experiencing, he's experiencing. He brushes the hair away from her face with one palm and lets her squeeze the other, "…Just breathe."
"I am breathing!" She snaps, calming down when the contraction ends.
"Oh, sounded like a bad one." The familiar Raven haired Woman comments; Entering the apartment and checking the results on the screen, "How are you doing, Fiona?"
"Okay." She mumbles, not in the mood for small talk.
Her Husband's attention is suddenly drawn to the strong thumping blasting through the speakers. He stares up at the Doctor. "Is the Baby's heartbeat alright, it sounds slow?"
"It's perfectly healthy; That's how it's supposed to be during Childbirth." Laura assures him, writing in the manila envelope she is carrying, "Don't worry, this won't be the first Baby I'm delivering."
"Telling him to relax is like asking a Cat to swim; They can't." His Wife jokes.
The Doctor chuckles. "That's a pretty good comparison, but I really have no problem answering questions." She finishes her examination and looks back to them, "I should be able to take the Fetal Monitor off now, things are right on track."
"You're taking it off already?" He exclaims, "How will you know if something's wrong?"
"Michael." She cuts in, rolling her eyes in annoyance, "She has other ways to check the heartbeat. Laura's a Doctor, let her do her job."
While Laura exits the loft, Pearce walks in; Being uncharacteristically cheery. "How are you doing, Fi?"
"Why am I getting a sense of déjà vu, here?!" She retorts, shifting in the cot in an attempt to get comfortable, "How am I doing?! Fantastic, Dani, I'm having the time of my life!"
Her Husband ignores her comment. "Where is Jess?"
"He's in the car." His former Boss responds, "I told him to come in with me, but I don't think he's secure with the idea of Labor."
"It isn't like you want him to watch me give Birth." Her Friend says, "Which we don't, by the way."
The Brunette laughs. "Well, we're all here for you Guys; Even Barry and Seymour showed up."
"Barry and Seymour?" He repeats, "How the Hell do you know them?"
"Remember the case we took when you were creating the nursery, they helped with it. Strange Creatures, they are; Strange, yet oddly sweet." Pearce smiles, focusing her attention on the Mommy-to-Be, "So, Fiona; How is Labor?"
"It is wonderful, Dani, it's like a party in my fucking uterus!" She snaps with a death stare, "What do you think it is like?!"
Pearce blinks her eyes, surprised about the temper coming from the petite Woman; Then again, not so surprised. She starts backing out of the apartment. "I'm gonna go."
2:30 am…
After the dispute with Dani, he manages to convince his Wife to get some rest. Meanwhile, he stands beside the bed, walking around the loft every now and then. "Hey, Mike." A male voice sighs.
He turns to find Jesse standing in the door frame. "Come on in." His Buddy hesitates, shaking his head, "Nothing's happening; Fi is asleep." He insists, gesturing to the cot; The pride in his tone, "You can tell when she's having a spasm; You can see the pain in her face…She's stronger than I am."
"Why don't you come get something to eat?" Jess asks, diverting the conversation, "Your Mother brought sandwiches."
"I can't eat; Fiona is giving Birth to our Child, I need to be here for her." He quips in disbelief.
"It is gonna be hard to "Be Here For Her." while you're collapsing from exhaustion." The younger Man quips back.
"I'm not hungry." He replies, trying to ignore the rumbling of his stomach…"Trying." being the operative word.
"Go eat, Michael." Madeline says, brushing past Jesse and back into the apartment, "I will stay with Fi." She promises, sitting down in the Green chair beside the bed, "Take fifteen minutes for yourself, clear your head; You will be thanking us later."
"Okay, if it will get both of you off my back." Her Son gives in, worriedly glancing over to the cot before following. The two Men sit in the Charger, a sandwich between each of them, "So…Do you wanna tell me why you haven't gone near Fiona since she went into Labor?"
Jess shrugs. "I'm just giving you Guys some space; The last thing you need is a hundred People in your face."
"Uh huh." He comments, not believing his Friend at all, "That's the reason?"
"Yeah." The younger Man nods, "What else would it be?"
"You tell me." He speaks curiously, "Whatever it is, I'm not gonna bite your head off."
"Alright…It's weird." Jesse confesses, "Fi and I…We kissed."
"I know, she told me; But that's never made it weird before!" He retorts, getting defensive.
"Don't take this the wrong way." His Buddy quips, "I can't keep thinking about how easily this could have been my Baby Fiona's giving Birth to."
"She married me, not you; Besides, you're engaged to Pearce, the Girl you're in love with…Ring a bell." He quips back.
"I'm sorry." Jess apologizes nervously, "It is…Hard…Not to wonder what might have been after the showdown with Vaughn."
"Well try!" He snaps bluntly, "Because I really don't want the resurfacing of your feelings, or whatever you had with Fi, overshadowing what is most important day of our life!"
"That's not what I'm doing." The younger Man swears, "It's nostalgia, nothing else; I'm with Dani and I love her…I wouldn't have asked her to marry me if I didn't."
"I hope you're telling the truth; Because Pearce hasn't just become Fiona's Best Friend…" He whispers, "…She's mine too…And I don't want her getting hurt."
His Buddy reluctantly opens his mouth in an attempt to save himself from doom:
"She won't, Mike; I'm meant to be with Dani and you're meant to be with Fi. Maddie told me once you loved each other and hated each other, but it would always be each other; I finally realized she was right the minute Fiona chased after you in the hotel…She chose you…And it was the right choice."
4:45 am…
"I think we should go to the Clinic." He suggests, watching her relax following the second contraction in less than ten minutes. It has been almost seven hours since her water broke and the Labor is quickly starting to progress.
She declines stubbornly. "No, I wanna do this here."
"Fi, Honey, are you sure?" Madeline questions, "If we go to Homestead, you can get the epidural."
"You're only six centimeters dilated, so it isn't too late." The Doctor adds, "In the end, Fiona, this is entirely up to you."
"I don't wanna!" She retorts. Her Husband attempts to get through to her, to no avail, "I wanna give Birth to our Child, in our house, without drugs!"
Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, he gives in and drops the subject; He still isn't entirely happy about it, but she's the one who is in Labor, so the decision is hers, not his…Trying telling this to his Mom. "I wish I had the option of an epidural when I was having you and your Brother." Maddie mutters, her focus on her oldest Son, "The both of you are making a huge mistake."
"Maybe; Then again, at least we will be able to say our Daughter was born naturally." He tells his Mother firmly.
"If this is what Fi wants, I think we should all support her decision." Laura chimes in, finishing her examination; Noticing the tension in the room, "I'm gonna let you Guys talk."
After the Doctor leaves and the three of them are alone in the loft, the Father-to-Be asserts himself in the situation…Loud and clear. "Ma, I think you should go; I will call you the minute things get close."
"Excuse me?" She exclaims, her face showing surprise.
"We understand, Madeline, we really do; Michael's right, though, we need to have this Baby alone." His Wife agrees. Before her Mother-in-Law can defend herself, she feels the familiar cramping in her abdomen, "Please, Maddie."
"Alright." The older Woman huffs, exiting the apartment.
"Your Mom isn't taking this well." She murmurs once the spasm ends.
"She will get over it." He sighs, watching her lay back on the pillow. He leans over to kiss her on her forehead, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. To him, she still looks stunning; Messy ponytail and all, "Have I told you how great you're doing?"
"You can't distract me with flattery." She responds with a smile. Her content is short-lived while a ripple passes underneath her skin, a tiny elbow or foot moving inside of her. She starts groaning in pain; Soft at first, gradually rising in volume, "Ow, ow, ow."
"Fiona, what's wrong?" He asks, jumping from his seat, "Do you want me to go get Laura?"
She squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head. "No; Ellie…She…" She winces, opening up and pressing a hand to her lower abdomen, "…She's trying to stretch, but there isn't enough room." Her Husband focuses on her stomach, watching it become oblong through the material of her gown; A round bulge at the bottom where their Child's skull is and a smaller one at the top where her feet are, "Oh my God, the books said she would do this; I didn't think it would actually happen."
He sits down on the cot, placing his palm on the bump and sliding his fingers up the side; Feeling the Baby's limbs curling back into their natural state. "Wow." He whispers, "That's...Wow."
"Yeah." She laughs softly, "She can't be any more comfortable than I am right now." She steadies her breathing, her lungs now unobstructed by their little Girl's change in position, "Michael?" He's sitting pale and silent, his face glued on his hand; Motionless on his Wife's lower abdomen. She reaches up with her free palm, touching his chin softly, "Hey, where are you?"
"I'm right here." He replies absently, pulling away her touch.
"No you aren't." She moves her hand from his jaw and up to his cheek, guiding him to look at her. He's reluctant at first, his gaze eventually meeting hers, "Talk to me…Please."
He is reminded of the last time she uttered those words; Here they are seven months later, and once more, she is waiting for him to be honest with her:
"I'm scared." He confesses, his tone full of panic and helplessness, "I hate seeing you like this, especially considering I played a part in it." He continues, his voice growing in confidence when he realizes the cause behind his emotions, "At the same time, I'm excited; Because in a matter of hours, we're gonna have our Daughter."
"I believe one would call what you're having "Butterflies.", although I never believed I would see the day where you would have them." She murmurs, her palms on his shoulders, "Everything you just said; About being scared and excited…" She rests her forehead on his, "…So am I."
There is a knock on the door and Pearce appears with Jesse and Sam on either side of her; Leading them into the loft. "Guess who I brought to see you."
"Hey, Fi." Sam responds, Jess giving a quick wave while her Husband is staring him down; Observing how the younger Man is acting around his Wife, "How are you doing?"
"Why does everybody keep asking me?!" She snaps, "I'm giving Birth, how do you think I am?!"
"She's a little testy right now." Dani mutters, soft enough so her Friend won't hear.
"A little?" Jesse wonders skeptically. Suddenly, another contraction enters her body and she starts moaning in pain. The two Men look at Pearce in alarm, "What should we do?"
"Leave!" She retorts, clenching her jaw, "All of you!"
Dani speaks up. "Fiona, we're here to support you and Michael…"
"Get out!" Husband and Wife scream in unison, glaring at the others; Five seconds later, they did.
7:00 am…
The apartment is quiet, except for the two of them. Everybody went back to Madeline's; even Barry and Seymour. Aside from the Doctor, who is at her car, their Child is being born in the way they want; Him and her and no one else. In the meantime, he's still mad at the earlier conversation he had with his Buddy. "Who does Pearce think she is?" He mumbles, sitting in his Green chair, "Bringing Jess in here."
"What's wrong with him being in here?" She questions.
"Well, for starters, you kissed." He answers, "And he held a gun to your face."
"So? We're Friends; All of this happened three-four years ago." She asks, groaning uncomfortably, "What is your problem with Jesse…The real problem?"
He sighs, taking a seat on the bed; He never could and will never be able to get anything past her. "He told me how easily this could have been your Baby with him instead of me if…If the showdown with Vaughn went differently."
She's silent for a moment, letting the revelation sink in. Finally, she forms words of relief:
"He brings up a point; Except the part where he forgot to mention I chose you…And how it was the right choice. Though, in actuality, there never really was a choice to make; Because you're it for me, Michael, you always have been." She whispers, "And besides, just like I'm the only Woman who will put up your shit, Dani is the only one who will put up with Jess's." She teases softly, "If we can forgive each other, after everything, you should be able to forgive him."
He laughs softly. "Jesse said the same thing, about you choosing me; Although, sometimes, I can't see why you did." Her eyes search his, pleading for an answer, which he gives, "It does seem kinda stupid to hold a grudge; I mean, I got Jess burnt…He shot me…"
Before he can start naming off the comparisons, she is hit with another spasm. "I want a C-Section!" She yells, fed up with being in Labor. Laura walks into the loft, hearing the screaming from her car, "You have to get her out of me!" She begs, "I don't care how you do it!"
"I'm afraid that's all up to your body, Fi." The Raven haired Woman replies calmly, lifting up the thin sheet at the end of the cot, "Let me check to see how far along you are."
She cringes when the Doctor starts examining her, trying to focus on anything else. He is holding onto her hand, thanking God Men aren't physically able to have Children. "Let me guess, Laura, it's gonna be another six hours." She utters sarcastically, "Actually, I bet it's gonna be another twelve hours. Maybe even…"
"It looks like you're ready to push." Laura interrupts with a smile.
"…What?" She whispers.
"You're ten centimeters dilated, which means it is time to have this Baby." The Doctor elaborates, scooting off the bed and removing her gloves, "I'm gonna go to my car to get the rest of my supplies, give you two a minute; Make any phone calls you need to make." She says, focusing on the Daddy-to-Be, "And Michael, try to relax; I'm not gonna let anything happen to either one of your Girls."
He doesn't have a chance to reply while Laura exits the apartment, leaving Husband and Wife to themselves. "…Okay." He murmurs, "I'm officially getting nervous."
"Are you ready to become a Parent?" She questions, hiding the fact she is in the midst of another contraction. When he answers "No.", she makes her pain apparent:
"Well, too bad!"
I know it's mean to leave it like this, sorry; I had to give you Guys a cliffhanger! Once again, I owe all my medical details to Google; Blame them if it is wrong! LOL! Hope you enjoyed me bringing back the "Jesse/Fiona/Michael." thing, I really felt it had to be mentioned! Don't worry for Dani, though, I'm not taking this issue any further; Like Jess said, it's only nostalgia! Next time, the moment you have all been waiting for…The arrival of little Ellie! :)