loose ends tied? check.

...

In the end they'd settled as an Irish family in Guernsey, an island on between England and France. It had been in part to because of the way Claire's eyes had lit up at a bookstore in Whales where they had waited for Maddox to make his arrival.

"It's Grandma's book." The little girl had said, grabbing a copy of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Societyand spinning it around and around in her hands. "How did they get it in Whales?"

Fiona had bought it immediately, pressing her lips together and hurrying a very happy Claire to the car before the tears started to slide down her face.

Michael had read it one weekend while hiding from Fiona's family as they took turns coming over from Ireland to visit.

"We can't stay here Fi." He'd whispered softly that night when Maddox had woken them both up so he could nurse. "They'll expose us."

"I know." She told him simply, no fight left in her voice.

"This is what I didn't want for you Fiona." He sighed, tracing his finger from her shoulder to her elbow before squeezing. "Running from your own family.."

"This is exactly what I wanted for me Michael." Told him, reaching up and covering his hand with hers. "This right here."

He'd called Jesse in the morning. Told him they'd be headed towards Guernsey by the end of the month.

"I've been taking to Nate." Jesse sighed.

"Yeah." Michael breathed, his brother had believed in his perfectly timed untimely demise a little easier than he had hoped. But Nate wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the corner of the weapons shed.

"He wants to see Fiona and the kids. Says he needs to know they're alright." Michael sighed as Jesse continued. "I hear that pony trekking in Whales is something no little girl should miss."

"The whole family?" Micheal whined.

"Looks less suspicious that way don't you think?"

"Yeah." He blew a long breath out from between his lips and tried to think of how to tell Fiona.

…...

Nate and his broad had arrived early one morning just before Christmas. Sam opened the door with an over enthusiastic cheer. Ruth looked sour faced at him before yelping like she'd just seen a ghost.

The ghost of Michael Westen to be exact , sprawled out on the sofa in the small cottage den.

"Calm down. Calm down." Sam had instructed her softly after Nate stood firmly planted in his spot.

"Mike?" His brother finally muttered.

"Nate." It was the same sharp blank tone his brother had regarded him with his whole life. Despite that Nate Westen had to choke back tears.

"God, you Bastard I thought I was all alone." He muttered into his shoulder after Michael finally stood up and he had grabbed him impulsively. Fiona pressed her lips together over Nate's shoulder just before Michael's eyes blinked shut.

…...

"You blew up Mom's house?" Nate breathed before reaching over his sleeping son to grab his beer. Michael winced a little, before making a face at Maddox who was studying him seriously from the little seat thingy he was strapped into.

"Fiona blew up Mom's house." Michael corrected.

"Felt good though didn't it?" Nate asked, his eyes crinkling round the edges (in a way that reminded Michael of is mother) as he chuckled. "Blowing up mom's house."

"It did feel kind of good." He admitted with a nod before taking a sip of his drink.

"Man."

"I'm sorry Nate. I really am. I didn't think you'd believe it when Jesse told you. He had a whole speech planned about the importance of secrecy and-."

"I didn't." He interrupted sharply. "I didn't believe it."He smiled at his only sibling. "At first I just waited for Fiona to call. Then after a few months I started thinking-."

"I'm sorry." Michael rubbed his forehead with his index finger.

"It's okay. I get it. I do." He said again. "I'm just-. Well I'm just glad you aren't particles stuck to to the little pieces left of what used to be Mom's house." He raised an eyebrow at him before starting to laugh again. Michael joined him. "Man! Fiona liked vaporized that shit."

Maddox started to whimper and Michael's eyes went wide.

"Shit." He hissed, looking at his watch and then at the front door.

"What?"

"How long's this pony thing last anyway?"

"I don't know. Another hour or so I guess." Nate shrugged. "Why?"

"Shit." Michael said again when Maddox's whine turned into a choppy baby cry. He stood up quickly and rushed to the counter, muttering. "At least its not frozen this time.."

"What's the problem?" Nate asked shaking is head before laying Mikey in his stroller and taking a long hard look at his nephew."Is he okay?"

"No. He's hungry." His brother barked. "And he and I are not very good at this." Michael held up the bottle to him. "And he has his mother's temper."

"Let me help." Nate said calmly, as Michael unstrapped the baby like he was managing explosives and spun him around, grabbing the bottle and trying to force it in his mouth. The baby's head reared back like the nipple was full of battery acid.

"Seriously, Dude let me help."

"Unless you can produce milk.. there's nothing you can do." Michael announced. "Our only hope is to get it in his little mouth before he realizes that it's not what he wants."

"Have you even done this before?" Nate winced, watching his brother sneak up on the baby with the bottle again.

"We've been trying.." Michael almost whined. "He just doesn't like me."

"Wonder why?" Nate teased watching Michael press the nipple into the baby's wailing mouth again. "Geez stop it already!" He snatched the bottle back from him. "I've got three kids, Bro. All breastfed. I may have a little more experience at this then you."

Michael raised his free hand in dubious surrender before slinging his other arm, with his son in it, at his brother. Nate bounced him a few times before cooing emphatically at the baby's howls.

"It's alright. Hey it's alright, Little Man." He tucked his nephew close to his chest, keeping his eyes locked on the baby's. Michael watched his brother shush and bounce until the bottle magically appeared just next to his cheek. "Here. Look. You want this?" He asked softly as the baby turned his head and cautiously accepted the nipple. "I know it's not as nice as when Mommy does it." He told him quietly. "But Uncle Nate does it better than Daddy, doesn't he?" Maddox sucked in agreement, closing his eyes in relief.

"You got him to-." Michael stopped talking, shaking his head slowly before settling back down in his seat.

"Didn't you do this with Claire?" Nate asked, finally looking up.

"Claire was sixteen hours and nine minutes old when I left." Michael reported with painstaking accuracy. "The next time I saw her she was eating with a spoon and holding her own juice cup."

Nate looked at him for a minute before looking back at Maddox.

"Okay.. well.. this time.. " He came around behind his brother lifting his nephew over his shoulder and lowering him down slowly.

"Nate." Michael was already shaking his head no.

"This time.." His sibling told him sharply, waiting until Michael to took the baby. "..is your do over." He let him settle in before lifting the bottle just enough to catch Michael's attention and the older Westen gripped it himself. The baby made the tiniest noise of irritation and Michael's eyes widened in fear. "Shh.." Nate told him, exaggeratedly bouncing his brothers arms.

The infant's right eyelid lifted enough to shoot his father a very Michael Westen like look before shutting again.

"Thank you." Nate strained to hear his brothers soft gratitude before shrugging.

"How often is it that I get to teach you something?"

"I guess." He sighed, looking at Maddox again. "Who taught you?"

Nate grinned.

"Francesca." He snickered. "By the time Lily was born Ruth and I were old pros. That's probably why he gets so fussy with you. Fi and Sam have done this before and it shows. He knows you don't know what your doing."

"Maybe.." His voice lilted as he looked at his son's tiny face.

"How weird is it getting parenting advice from the guy you practically raised?" Michael snorted and Nate continued. "I only know this part better though, when Francie starts stealing cars and stuff you might have to talk me through it."

"Deal." Michael sighed before letting his grin drop off. "I think I'm still scared that one day I'm going to wake up and be dad."

"Yeah.. that goes away." Nate said softly. "You'd never hurt Claire. You'd never say those things."

"Yeah." Michael whispered.

"Sides, Fiona'd kick your ass." Nate added, Michael looked at Maddox and nodded in agreement.

Nate and his family left two days later, the next week Michael lead his people out of Wales.

…...

"Mom?"

"Yes McBride?" Fiona almost huffed, dropping the heavy box she was wrangling towards the shed. The one that her father refused to allow anyone to call the 'amo shed' or the 'weapons shed' any longer. Despite the fact that Claire was quiet sure that it was still stocked just as full as the one in Miami had been.

"Fiona, normal families do not have weapons bunkers in their backyard." He'd murmured into her hair when she'd called the mailman around back.. to her weapons shed.. with her latest package.

She'd raised her eyebrows at him like she was surprised by that.

"What does E-x-t-r-e-e-m-l-y F-l-a-m-?"

"It means don't tell your father." Fiona finished for her.

Claire looked at her suspiciously.

"It's fire works. For Queens Day."

"I thought that was next month."

"Always prepared McBride." Fiona McBride (Westen) blew a single strand of hair from her face, wiping at it with dirty 'gardening' gloves. "Always prepared."

"Fi?" Came a quick call from the house. Her mother's eyes lit up frantically before she tried and failed to quickly lift the box. "Fi are you back here?"

Claire watched her somewhat frantically try to push the box with her feet before reaching her arms out to her daughter and arranging them on the box like it was a lawn chair.

"Fiona?"

"Michael?"

"Didn't you hear me calling you?" He screwed up his face and moved Maddox from one hip to the other.

"Um. I guess not. I was talking to Claire." She smiled a cat like smile before nudging Claire who smiled as well.

Michael smiled at Claire before turning to his son and raising his eyebrows.

"Sam called. His day trip to Paris just turned into an overnight." Her husband sang the words. Fiona's face paled momentarily before she recovered.

"Must have made a new friend." She let the lower side of her mouth draw down as if she was afraid Claire would understand the innuendo.

"Yeah.. I hope this 'new friend' pays him in European Currency instead of Franks." Westen looked at his son. "I think Barry's trying to skimp him on the conversion rates." He cooed, before starting towards the house. "If you want I can put Mads down for a nap and help you carry your C-4 into the.. shed.." He called back over his shoulder.

"Busted." Fiona exhaled. Claire giggled.

Inside Michael Westen thought of his mother as he explained to his son that Mommy thought she was very smart, but Daddy had her all figured out.

…...

A/N

I'm already writing a sequel.

:) Loved this story.

Next week looks

GGOOOODD!