The phone call didn't go as planned.

Michael's new handler was not as understanding as he would have liked. Of course the woman didn't really know what she was supposed to be understanding. Michael considered telling her why he wasn't leaving Miami, but fatherhood didn't really fit the new reputation he was trying to create for himself.

He'd found it more difficult to readjust to his old life style then he expected. He had a different way now. He got too involved. Too personal.

And assets were another story all together. Michael Westen had always prided himself on meeting, cultivating and abandoning assets with out much thought for what happened to them afterward. Not like he didn't try to keep them safe, he'd always tried to keep them safe. It was just that with a few exceptions, like one tiny tornado of an IRA agent, he just didn't really think of what happened to them after.

Now every freaking asset reminded him of Fi. of his mom, of that woman her mom had befriended at county records. Every unknowing idiot was Sugar, or Javiar or that 13yr old with the wicked stepfather.

That was part of the reason he shouldn't be here. He'd managed a lot of visibility in his nine months away. He had jobs on the back-burner that would come back to bite him if he didn't follow through. And now it wasn't just him. It wasn't even just his mom or Fi.

It was his.. child.

His son? Oh God please let it be a girl. He wasn't ready to navigate a father son relationship, even if it was from the other side. He did know that actually being here when the baby was born was probably an important first step, and that's why he'd just had a very irritating conversation with Monica.. his new handler.

His child seemed to refuse to come out. Despite Sam's frequent exclamations that stubbornness was a family trait this baby had coming at it from both sides, Michael wasn't entirely sure that the baby (or God -or Fiona) wasn't doing this just to make his world more difficult.

"Maybe he's waiting for you to leave?" Jesse provided helpfully when he finally came around to see Michael. The other man scowled at him.

"That's not funny." He grumbled.

"Pretty funny to me." Sam muttered from his file.

"Don't worry Mike. If she's pregnant for another day Fiona's going to perform her own c-section." Porter shook his head. "We gotta go, Sam."

"I thought this was a social call?" Michael complained.

"It was." Jesse lied. "Just.. you know.. killing two birds with one stone."

"I though you and mom finished up the dog job yesterday?" Michael quipped. "Mom went shopping to celebrate? I gave her my credit card! She better not have been lying."

"This is Jesse's job." Sam said quickly.

"You're helping Jesse on a job?" He tried and failed to not sound hurt.

"Come on man." Porter clapped him on the back. "You know how it is. Once you find a good team.."

Sam had the good grace to wince apologetically before following his new 'team leader' out the door.

"Michael?" Fiona called softly from the door.

"Sam's doing jobs with Jesse." He shook his head. "My mom's carrying machine pistols in her purse. . My new handler thinks I'm not 'committed to my mission'." He flopped back into Sam's lazy boy. "And I have no plan."

"Michael." She repeated, making her way across the apartment taking his hand in hers. He absently gripped her fingers, staring at the door as if looking for the missing piece to his puzzle. Something he hadn't considered. "I think it's time." He heard her whisper when he tugged on her arm and pulled her onto his lap.

"Time for what Fi?" He sighed, biting the edge of his lip and continuing to ponder. She pressed the pads of her fingers to his jaw and turned his face towards her. His eyes quickly followed.

"I think it's time." She told him, bringing their joined hands to her abdomen, watching his face pale in understanding.

…...

"We need to call the clinic right now." Michael announced from his spot in front of her, watching her fight through another contraction.

"No." She panted. "Not yet. I'm okay."

His eyes widened at her like she was insane. He was suddenly quiet sure she was.

"You are not okay!" He hissed back, wincing as the tight fist she had on the front of his shirt caught a few of his chest hairs as she twisted. "We should call someone."

"Call Sam." She offered through clenched teeth. Michael rubbed his free hand down her back while readjusting their grip on his other. She leaned her head against his shoulder, pressing her lips against the back of the chair she was straddling.

"I did." He leaned forward onto the edge of his own seat. "He's on his way as soon as he can. I'm calling Laura."

"How stupid am I going to feel when she rushes away from the clinic to wait for hours for this baby to make his move? Just wait Michael I'm fine." She shook her head letting go of his shirt, giving him a fake smile.

"I'm not fine." He raised his eyebrows at her before rolling his head around on his shoulders before letting go of her hand and popping up from the table. He shook his head pouring her a glass of water. "I'm terrified."

She smiled for real at that, taking a sip of the water before pushing back from the chair and going to the sofa.

"Come here." She said soothingly. "I'll hold your hand."

His lips twitched as his eyes slipped shut. He set the pitcher down and made his way over to her, settling back against the cushions behind her, she melted into him reaching her hand back. He took it and she gave him a tight squeeze.

"It's going to be okay." She told him.

"That's supposed to be my line." He teased, kissing her cheek.

"Remind me later." She smiled before squirming uncomfortably. Michael put his palm against her stomach as she blew out a slow breath. He could feel her body lurch and tighten as he moved his flat hand in soothing strokes. She squeezed her eyes shut and a low moan escaped her lips.

"Five minutes apart Fi." He told her pointedly. She huffed at him before her free hand clapped down and grasped his thigh.

"Ohmy-" She moaned again pulling both of his hands to her body and pressing firmly, Michael continued rubbing gently.

…...

"Hello?"

"Sam!" Michael's voice rang desperately from the bedroom over Fiona's earthy yells. Axe rounded the corner and met Mike in the hall. "She wouldn't let me call Laura. Wouldn't even give me the number."

"I figured. I called from the road." He looked at Fiona. "How we doing?"

"We are not-." She stopped talking, cursed loudly. Michael spun on his heals and dropped back to her side as she started to cry out again. "Michael!"

"Hold on to me." He whispered. "Just hold onto me." His head whipped back to Sam. "Her hands are swollen, Sam."

"Damn." He opened a drawer in the kitchen and handed his friend a blood pressure cuff. Michael turned back to Fiona. "Laura's at least an hour away, maybe more."

"Sam." Michael said sharply looking at the read outs. "She's gotta go to a hospital."

"No!" Fiona yelled forcefully, bringing his attention back to her. "No.."

"You could be in real trouble here Fi." Westen shook his head at her.

"They'll take him away from me Michael!" She forced out before curling into a ball on the bed. "Don't you see that?"

"What?" He asked her in confusion, cupping her sweaty face. "No one's going to-."

"We got a threat Mike." Sam muttered.

"What?" His voice went straight to command mode,

"After you left. We got a threat, she should watch her self or the department of homeland security might start taking an interest in her." Axe explained, pressing his palm against the door frame. "Interest as in terrorist. It's a big deal."

"Why am I just now hearing about this?" He yelped. "I'm protected now. I have connections now, guys! I can take care of you." He looked back at her, her wild eyes were glazed over with pain and fear. "For God sakes Fiona let me take care of you!"

She opened her mouth to respond but another contraction knocked her words away. He watched her body contort as she cried out in pain. Her hands flew to his shoulders and gripped him hard.

"We are going to the hospital."He muttered.

Sam's phone rang and he flipped it open.

"Maddy you ready to be a grandma?" He asked the caller. "She's a little shaky. Mike's convinced her to go to the hospital."

"Not going to the hospital Sam." Mike yelled over his girlfriend's frantic cry.

"You just said-." He turned his head to them. Michael had his hands on Fiona's parted knee's and his eyes fixed between them. "Oh man. Maddy you better hurry up and get here."

"Fi look at me." Michael said calmly, she fearfully replied with an angished whimper. "It's going to be okay." She closed her eyes and arched her back in pain. "I need a sterile towel."

"Michael!"

"Shh.. Don't push yet." He ordered, tearing the thin side of her panties and pulling them away completely. "Just look at me."

"I have too!" She snapped.

"Wait for Sam." He told her softly.

"Michael..." She moaned before it turned into a growl.

"Whoa.. I said no pushin-. Damn it!" He moved his hands. "SAM!"

"I brought the whole bag-. Holy God!"

"Towel!" Michael reminded, Axe ripped it open and tossed it to him. "Push Fi."

"We're having a baby!" Sam yelled, earning quick dirty looks from the new parents until Fiona yelped and bore down again.

"Good girl." Michael coaxed. "That's my girl. Come on, Fiona."

He actually laughed out loud when the baby finally slid free and started to squeal. Not registering the fact that his mother had just rounded the corner and that Sam was currently gripping her at the shoulders and crying like a baby himself. He lifted his child up towards Fiona who was starring at him with round unfocused eyes.

"It's a girl." He said softly before laughing again. Fiona's eyes widened and contracted, he leaned over their daughter and kissed her on the mouth before handing her the baby.

"A girl?" Fiona breathed, still looking bewildered. She dropped her eyes to the baby who promptly started screaming at her. "Oh.."

"Did I miss it?" Came Laura's playful voice as the doctor joined Sam and Madelyn in the doorway. Michael Westen closed his eyes and started to laugh again.

…...

"Michael?"

He lifted his head away from where he'd been studying the baby laying beside Fiona's sleeping form and looked at his mother.

"Yeah Mom?" She gestured for him to follow and he gave the infant one last fleeting look before moving out into the kitchen.

Madelyn was in the nursery, smoothing out two almost identical outfits, one pink, one blue.

"Your father bought these in the hospital gift shop the morning before you were born." She grinned. "I think he was trying not to worry. You wore this one when you were just a few hours old." She tapped the blue sleeper. "As soon as Sam told me about Fiona being pregnant, I thought about them. I gave them to her as a late Christmas gift. I never even thought to give them to Nate and Ruth. They were yours Michael. Isn't that something?" He watched his mother pick up the pink sleeper and lay it in his hands. "Go put it on her." She smiled. "I'm just.." She lifted the blue one carefully and folded it in half. "I'm just going to save this one for her brother."

Michael stood there as she walked past him and into her own bedroom before he lifted the sleeper to his chin and held it there for a minute before going back to Fiona.

…...

"How long do we have?" Her voice startled him, he looked up from the chair he'd settled in and watched as she traced her fingers over the sleeping baby.

"How long, Fi?"

"Till you have to go.." She smiled at him and he moved to kneel beside the bed, tracing her hand with his fingers.

"I don't want to talk about that now." He whispered. "How do you feel?"

"Laura said I was fine." She moved their fingers to her lips and kissed them. He nodded at her, laying his palm against her face and pressing his lips to hers.

"You were amazing today, Fi." He told her.

"I was, wasn't I?" She hummed. He smiled. "Thank you Michael." She told him softly, cupping her hand over his. "For being there for me." He touched his forehead to hers and let out a shaky breath. "I.. She needs a name."

"Claire." He said quickly. "I thought we'd name her Claire." She froze before pulling back slowly, he raised his eye brows at her and she nodded almost imperceptibility. "Yeah?" She nodded again, Fiona slid back on the bed and made room for him beside her and the baby. Keeping her eyes on his. He slipped onto the mattress, scooping the newly named Westen into the crook of his elbow. His free hand made it's way through Fiona's hair. "You should sleep."

"Promise me." She whispered quietly. "That I won't wake up alone."

"Fi."

"Don't leave with out goodbye Michael." Her voice was pleading and he swallowed back his on emotion from the day.

"I promise."

…...

He held the baby tightly against his chest, alternating between looking at her and looking out the window.

"This may be the hardest thing I've ever hand to do." He told the window, before emphatically looking at his infant daughter. "And I've done a lot of hard things." He swallowed. "Leaving your mom is hard enough kid and I've done that.." His eyes went back to the window. ".. too much."

Michael swallowed again.

"If I could stay.." He stopped himself before the word turned into the sob it was trying to. "Your mom and your grandma and your uncle Sam are going to be right here with you." He nodded at her. "They're going to make sure that you never ever want for anything I promise you that." He sniffed now before letting the words rush out of him. "I know you're not going to remember this, and some day you're probably going to hate my guts for not being there. But I need to tell you.. that you.." He closed his eyes and fought with control. "I never knew I could feel this way about anything. I love you. You. You scrawny, little, loud mouthed complainer." He grinned. "But I did fall in love with your mother so I guess it isn't that much of a stretch." He pressed a kiss to her soft dark baby hair. "I have to go. I have to, but I promise if I get another way out I'll take it this time. I'll find away." He kissed her again, inhaling deeply before lowering her into the cradle beside the bed and dropping next to her mother.

"Fiona." He pressed on the ball of her shoulder, rolling her back as her eyes popped open. He watched her blink away the tears. "It's time. I-" She put her fingers over his mouth and sat up, wrapping her arms around him as tightly as she could. He melted into her, pressing his mouth and eyes into slits to keep from loosing it completely. She grazed her fingers over his hair before pulling back and kissing him slowly and fully. "I-."

"I know." She told him quickly, turning her eyes away from his face and using her thumbs to trace away the tears on his cheeks.

"No." He kissed her temple and moved her face back to him. "Let me-." His mouth closed and her lips trembled before crumpling. "I love you, Fiona Glenanne." He

"I love you too, Michael." She choked, kissing him again as he lifted away from her and all but ran to the door.

The baby squeaked in her bed and Fiona quickly gathered her up.

"Shh. Shh.. No." She cooed, pulling her daughter close. "It's okay. He'll find a way."