AN: The last chapter was kind of short ... so heres another... this story is complete so I am going to try and have it all up and about asap.

Chapter 11

A Means to an End

Things were progressing well, in the year since he had been with Marissa, Demarco had visited on two separate occasions.

Michael had made sure to have careful surveillance of the meetings that went on in his absence. So careful in fact, that Demarco's goons hadn't found a thing. The last meeting had proved especially revealing.

Demarco had a rather large shipment coming in soon, that was all Michael needed to hear, once the date was set he would be able to call a team in and take them all out. He was remorseful; he didn't want to destroy a woman who claimed to love him.

Yet, he had no choice. This was who he was now and there was no going back. He counted the days when he could get back to his beloved Simone and finally have some semblance of peace and normality.

They owed him at least that. The chance, just one for happiness and all the happiness he wanted, needed was with his Simone.

Six months later and a year and half into the mission, Marissa mentioned casually over breakfast that he had to leave once again. T

his was it, he was sure of it. He made love to her for what he knew was the last time, being surprisingly tender because he knew that the next time they laid eyes on one another, she would find herself betrayed.

He left the house and contacted section. "Two days," he told them, "Now get me a team and quick."

---

When the smoke cleared, Demarco sat on the sofa, a suitcase of money in front of him and at least twelve men scattered around him, all quite dead.

Marissa sat beside him, hysterical with fear as about twenty masked men in black stood around her living room, pointing various high powered assault rifles at her and her lover. Demarco for his part; wore a smirking smile.

"Get up," a harsh voice barked, gesturing at Demarco, who stood as three more men, hustled him out of the room. Marissa watched in terrified silence, trembling.

"Please – p – please, I don't know anything…"

The man that was closest to her gestured to the man holding the gun towards her abdomen.

"Kill the girl," he said.

His voice, why did she recognize that voice, she leapt up and went at the man, who knocked her back and sent her sprawling to the ground.

"I know you, you son of a bitch!" The man stared at her and turned once more to her, his eyes…oh god! Through the mask he wore she recognized those eyes, those beautiful green eyes.

"Oh god," she managed to choke out.

"I am sorry Marissa," he told her as he turned and left her there.

"You son of a bitch, I am having your baby…" He paused at the door as her words went through, catching him unaware, staggering him.

Then came the shot, a single shot and there was silence. A cold silence, that filled his gut with the horror of who and what he was now.

He was not a man anymore; there was no purpose now to why he killed… He leaned against the wall, breathing hard as the awesome awareness of who he was threatened to overtake him.

On his hands, now was the stain of his first innocent, his own child.

------

When Michael came back it marked his four years at section and when he returned, desperate to take Simone in his arms, he found that she was not there.

She was on a mission and wouldn't be back for another few weeks Jurgen saw him come into the training room and hang back a discreet distance away.

He turned to his student, a young lady by the name of Teri and dismissed her. She looked to her mentor and then to the magnificent looking man standing off in the distance and then made her way to the showers.

Jurgen turned back to Michael with a pounding heart and as their eyes met, he saw that time had not dimmed Michael's appeal. No, at last – he was a man.

One who was coolly assured and completely in control and how he still wanted him. He always would. The two approached one another, slowly and then as they came together, it was Jurgen who spoke first.

"All in once piece, I see…"

"Yes, you look well," he said. "I try, so… just off the van?"

Michael nodded, "Simone… she is on a mission?"

"It's routine, nothing to worry about." Michael nodded, thoughtful.

" I owe you an apology," he said softly and Jurgen shook his head.

"You don't."

"Yes, I do," Michael began, "I should not have parted with you like that, it was uncalled for."

"It was a shitty situation," Jurgen admitted, "took us all by surprise."

Michael paused, " I had another reason for seeing you." "Yes?" "I am going to ask Simone to marry me."

Jurgen couldn't find words, he just gaped at Michael openly, shocked.

"Is that allowed?"

"What – is that – what…allowed, sure, I guess…sometimes but…"

"I want her to be my wife, will you stand up for me; you are the only man here that I respect."

Jurgen was completely taken aback, he loved this man and he knew Michael knew it and yet, here he was asking if he would be his best man? It was bizarre and worse still, marriage to another operative; was he mad?

"That isn't a good idea."

"Don't say that," Michael said, meaning it.

"Michael…listen to me, if you have ever valued my opinion, don't marry her."

"You're only saying that because…"

An awkward silence and Jurgen was the first to speak, his voice a whisper.

"Why because of how I feel about you…get over it! That is not why…"

"Then what is it?"

"Because you will not be able to have children with her, live a normal life…your ops, and worse still, valentine ops…do you know what she is doing right now, she is fucking someone else!"

Michael hauled off and hit him, catching him off guard; Jurgen staggered back and gaped at Michael who at least had the good sense to look ashamed.

"I'm sorry."

"You are making the biggest mistake of your life."

"At least you have acknowledged that this is my life…not yours and not theirs – but mine and I will marry her…"

He turned heel and started marching off. Jurgen called after him but he didn't heed him, just kept walking. He knew what it was he wanted and he would get it. No one would stand in his way.

----------

"You wanted to see me?"

He came in and turned as the steel doors slammed behind him and then he turned to Madeline, seated behind her desk. He nodded, "I do."

"I have to tell you, you have done remarkably well, we are very pleased with your performance," she said, that cold smile spreading across her face.

He took a deep breath.

"Thank you," he replied.

"Please," she said, gesturing to a chair.

"No, I prefer to stand."

There was silence and then she stood and came towards him.

He stood his ground as she planted herself in front of him, her back to her desk and arms crossed over her breasts.

"Well, what is it you wanted to see me about," she said.

"I want to marry," he stated and watched as her eyes widened with surprise. "A fellow operative," she said and he nodded.

"Simone?"

"Yes, Simone," he said.

"Well, what does she say?" He paused, looked down and then back towards those ever-watchful brown eyes.

"I haven't asked her, yet."

"Ah," Madeline said, "Michael…marriage between operatives is a delicate situation at best, understand…we handle this on a case by case scenario."

"I am not asking you for permission, I am telling you," he said as hardness crept into his voice and Madeline seemed taken aback by his forcefulness.

"You don't have that authority," she told him, her voice edged with ice. He wasn't going to be intimidated, he wasn't going to cower and beg before her.

No, he still had some rights did he not? He wanted to make Simone his wife, to the hell with them and Jurgen.

All that mattered was having Simone.

"I have given you my life, my body and my soul…I will continue to give you those things, that is my word and for that I ask for this, this one thing…"

"This one thing is not a small thing, you realize."

"I realize," he said and she looked up at him and came towards him, laid a hand on his forearm and he had to resist the urge to pull away from her.

"Don't you see Michael…you do not exist nor does Simone, your marriage would be a lie from its conception."

"Yes," he said, "but not were it matters, not were it counts." She slid her hand away from him and then turned and went back to her desk.

"I will speak to operations and in the future, do not demand things from your superiors." "Yes," he said as he turned to leave.

"Oh, Michael," she called. He turned back. "Marissa Conway was pregnant at the time of her death, please be more careful in the future…for your sake…"

Her words stung him but he remained impassive to her words.

"Yes, of course," he said, leaving. He could feel Madeline eyes following him out as the steel doors swooshed behind him, once outside he breathed a sigh of relief.

Now that it was done, he could wait for Simone to return to what he hoped was some semblance of a future for the both of them