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Within the hour, Elias arrived at the loft. Sam and Fiona decided not to call Maddie until after Elias completed his examination of Michael. That way they would actually have something to tell her.

While Elias examined Michael, Fiona stayed beside the bed, her Walther in her hand. Sam trusted Elias, but Fiona's need to keep Michael safe overwhelmed her desire to trust Sam's judgment. Elias examined Michael thoroughly, then joined Sam in the kitchen.

Sam opened a fresh beer and offered one to Elias, who declined. "How is he?"

"The blow to the head you said he received was more severe than I expected. As you already know, it affected his vision and his memory."

"How long will that last?" Sam questioned, taking a long swig of his beer.

"It's hard to say. It might be a matter of days. Or this could be permanent."

That had Sam putting down his bottle of beer. "Permanent?"

"I know how bad it sounds, Sam. But he could have died."

Letting out a sigh, Sam ran his hands through his hair. "Yeah." He knew how lucky they were that he was still alive.

Elias reached out and grasped his friend's shoulder. "Right now, the best suggestion I have for you is to just be patient. You and Fiona can play songs, tell him stories about his past, and just try to act as normally as you possibly can around him."

Sam snorted. "Right."

Elias finally smiled. "I said try."

"Well, thanks, Elias." Sam shook hands with his old friend.

"No problem, Sam. Call me if anything changes. Otherwise I'll be back next week to check on his progress."

"You got it."

Elias left the kitchen, casting a glance at Fiona before he left the loft.

Once he was gone, Fiona sighed and sat down on the bed. Michael was curled up on his side, and she wasn't sure if he was awake or not. He had barely spoken except to answer the doctor's questions. How were they going to handle this? He was not a well man.

Sam crossed the floor and dropped into the empty chair by the bed. "Is he awake?"

Fiona looked Michael over. "I don't think so."

"Good. He needs the rest." He leaned back in the chair. "But you and I have to talk."

Fiona nodded and sat up straighter in the bed. "What are we going to do?" She already had a plan of sorts, but she had to consider what Sam was thinking, as well. To get Michael through this, they would have to act as a team (just like they always did) and keep him safe.

"Elias said we should tell Mikey stories and play songs. It might trigger his memory."

Fiona was quiet for a very long time. "And what if it doesn't?"

"I don't know, Fi."

That scared her more than anything.

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By the time the sun came up over the Miami horizon, Sam and Fiona had both fallen asleep. Fiona was curled up beside Michael, and Sam was in the chair by the bed.

A loud knock on the front door of the loft startled them both awake. Instinctively, Fiona produced her Walther and made her way to the door, while Sam guarded the bed. Without even speaking, they each knew what to do, and they were both reassured by that. As long as they could do that, maybe they would get through this.

Fiona crept to the door and opened it carefully, her finger on the trigger of the gun.

Madeline Westen stepped into the loft, torn between disapproval and relief at the sight of the gun in Fiona's hand. At least she could rest easier knowing her son was well protected. "You can put the gun away, Fiona."

"We weren't expecting you so early, Madeline." But Fiona tucked the gun away.

"My son is hurt. You're lucky I didn't come sooner." Her expression softened slightly at the hurt in Fiona's eyes. "How is he?"

"Madeline…"

"Don't do that, Fiona. Just tell me how he is."

Fiona was quiet for several moments. "He was hit in the head, and it caused him to lose his sight and his memory."

The older woman's mouth fell open slightly. "What…?"

"He can't see, and he doesn't remember any of us."

Getting to his feet, Sam approached Fiona and Madeline. "Fi, I need to go get a shower and fresh clothes. I'll be back in an hour." He figured that would give Fiona enough time to help Madeline sort through all of this.

He left the loft, and Madeline watched Fiona intently.

Fiona shifted uncomfortably. "What?"

Shaking her head, Madeline made her way over to the bed. Fiona trailed behind her, unsettled.

They reached the bed, and Madeline watched her son sleep for several minutes as she tried to reconcile Fiona's words in her mind. He had no memory or sight. What if his memory never returned? What about his job? What about all the people they helped on a regular basis? There was a lot to think about, and no time to prepare. Then a single thought came to her mind. She looked at Fiona.

Fiona looked at Madeline curiously. "What?"

"Fiona… Have you given any thought about what you'll do if he doesn't regain his memory?"

The younger woman hesitated. "I… not really."

"You'll have to start over." A sort of happy tone came into her voice. "You love each other. Maybe…" She tried to put it as delicately as she could. "Maybe you shouldn't tell him what he does."

"What?"

"Think about it, honey. He has a dangerous job. If he doesn't remember, you can start over fresh." Madeline supported her son's career, but she and Fiona both had the same feelings about it. They were alike in many ways.

Fiona entertained that thought briefly before shaking her head. "No. I couldn't do that to him." She wouldn't deny that the idea thrilled her. They could start over somewhere new, just the two of them. No more international assassins, no more dangerous missions and no more wasted nights wondering if he would be returned to her in a pine box. She knew that she could give up her life for him, but she also knew how big a part his job played in his life. It was such a huge part of who he was, and she couldn't take that from him, even if there was a chance that he would never remember it.

Madeline sighed softly. "I understand, sweetheart. But what are you going to do now?"

"I'm not sure yet. The most important thing right now is keeping him safe." There were countless enemies who wanted him dead, and if even one person found out about this, he would die. She wouldn't let that happen. She couldn't.

"You're right." Madeline looked at her sleeping son, and she couldn't resist running her hand through his dark, thick hair. "Why don't you go get a shower? I'll stay with him."

"Madeline…"

"Honey, go." The older woman's voice was gentle but insistent.

Finally Fiona stood, but before she walked away, she leaned over and kissed Michael's forehead gently. Before the blow to his head, he never would have slept through a kiss from her. She felt horribly unsettled as she finally made her way toward the bathroom.

Once inside, she closed the door and locked it. Then she started the shower, turning the hot water on full blast. As she shed her clothes and stepped beneath the pulsing spray, a tear slipped down her cheek, followed by another. But the hot water washed them away.

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When Michael awoke again, he was disappointed when darkness still greeted him. He could hear the soft breathing of a woman, along with an unfamiliar clicking sound directly to his right. He frowned.

"Michael?"

There was that voice again. So kind and warm, and as gentle as a summer breeze. He still couldn't remember the owner of the voice, but without even consciously choosing to, he trusted her.

He heard a shuffling sound, followed by springs squeaking as the bed dipped beneath them. Then a gentle hand brushed his hair back.

"Who are you?" he whispered before he could stop himself.

There was a long pause. "I'm Fiona." Her voice was strained as she spoke.

"Are you my wife?" He guessed that she had to be. Her touch was too tender, too intimate for her to be a sister. She stirred something intense in him, something he couldn't understand.

"We're…" How could she explain what they were, everything that they had been through together? "I'm your girlfriend. We live together."

He seemed satisfied with that explanation. "What about the man I heard?"

"Sam?" Her fingers continued moving slowly through his hair. "Sam is your best friend. You two have known each other for a long time."

He nodded. "What about my family?"

"Well, your mom lives close by. You're closer to her than you used to be. And your brother, Nate, lives in Las Vegas with his wife, Ruth, and your nephew, Charlie. We see them a couple of times a year." More if Nate got himself into trouble with money or loan sharks.

"And my dad?"

She had hoped they would be able to avoid the subject of his dad, at least for a little while longer. "He died when you were younger."

"Oh."

Fiona finally pulled her hand away. "Are you hungry? You haven't eaten anything in a while."

"Sure." He listened as she slid off of the bed and walked across the floor. Since he was unable to see, he tried to envision her in his mind's eye. She had a kind voice and a gentle touch, but no images appeared in his mind. Frustrated, he gave up and sat upright in the bed.

Fiona returned to the bed moments later, a cup of blueberry yogurt in her hand and a spoon in the other. "Let's try this." She sat on the edge of the bed beside him and dipped the spoon into the cup.

He caught a whiff of blueberries, and his stomach grumbled loudly.

Fiona laughed, and the sound was music to his ears. "At least your appetite is still there." Pulling the spoon out of the yogurt, she brought it up to his mouth. "Open up."

He obliged, and a grin lit up his features as the cool treat hit his tongue. "Wow."

"It's your favorite." Fiona offered him another spoonful.

As he accepted the next bite, something made him pause. A shimmer of a memory flitted across his mind. There was a beautiful woman with long auburn hair, sea green eyes, and sweet lips that were parted mid-laugh. The image made his heart swell, but a split-second later, it was gone. Frustration filled him, and his smile disappeared.

Fiona frowned. "Michael? What is it?"

"Nothing." He took another bite of yogurt, and Fiona was grateful that he couldn't see the tears in her eyes.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Aww, poor Fiona and Michael. But of course, the trauma is only starting... *evil laughter* Thanks for reading, and please review!