Hey, everybody! So sorry it's taken me so long to update this, but with tonight's premiere, I felt inspired! Hope everyone enjoys this!
Disclaimer: Not mine!
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They sat there on the bed for a while, not speaking, just holding each other. Michael shook slightly as he held onto Fiona. He had awoken in this strange house, and it had only taken a few moments for the memories to come crashing down on him like waves against the sandy beach. He remembered everything, including Larry abducting him, and that made his blood boil. He knew that Fiona and Sam hadn't willingly let it happen, but he needed to know exactly what had gone on.
Fiona struggled with the tears of joy that threatened to fall down her cheeks. Michael remembered her, and now he was holding onto her as though his life depended on it. She finally had him back.
Finally she pulled back just enough so that she could see his handsome face. "How do you feel?" she finally whispered.
"My head is killing me." He reached out unsteadily and touched her face. "Where are we?"
"We're at a safe house. We brought you here after we saved you from Larry."
His fingers made their way into her hair. How could he have forgotten, even for a moment, who she was and how much she meant to him?
Letting out a deep breath, Fiona gently guided Michael's head to rest against her shoulder. Then she kissed his forehead. "Everything is going to be okay now, Michael."
He didn't respond verbally, but he pressed himself even closer to her and closed his eyes.
After a while, Fiona realized that he was sleeping. Moving carefully so she didn't disturb him, she guided him back against the pillows. Then she curled herself around him protectively and held him tight. No harm would come to him while he was in her arms.
No harm.
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The next morning, Sam was in the kitchen cooking breakfast for the three of them. Luckily the kitchen had been fully stocked before they arrived, courtesy of the friend who had lent them the house for as long as they needed it. Sam was glad that the friend was also very discreet and trustworthy. He wouldn't gamble with his best friend's life by going somewhere that was potentially unsafe.
He was in the middle of slicing some fresh fruit for Fiona when he sensed that he wasn't alone. He looked up to see Fiona guiding Michael slowly down the stairs. He put his knife down. "Well, good morning, lovebirds!"
Fiona looked over her shoulder. "Good morning, Sam." She helped Michael down the last few steps, then guided him into the kitchen.
Sam watched as Fiona helped Michael sit down at the table. "Hope you're both hungry. I made pancakes, bacon, eggs, and I have fresh fruit for you, Fi!"
Fiona looked at the impressive display, and her stomach growled. "It looks great."
"Eat up." He placed several plates on the table.
Fiona smiled and glanced at Michael. "What do you want to eat?" She didn't give him the option of not eating anything. He had only consumed yogurt since they rescued him from Larry, and he needed something more substantial.
Michael shifted uncomfortably. "Just a pancake."
Fiona couldn't resist gently touching his hair. "Okay." Grabbing a plate, she put several pancakes and pieces of bacon on it. She added a little syrup, then placed the plate in front of Michael. "Do you need any help?"
He shook his head. "No."
"Okay…" Fiona grabbed a plate for herself.
Sam joined them at the table a few minutes later. He noticed that Michael was eating, albeit slowly and somewhat awkwardly, and Fiona was watching him as she ate her own food. But he was there, and that was all that mattered. Sam couldn't help smiling.
Fiona glanced at Sam. "What?"
"Nothing. I'm just happy to have our boy back."
She watched him suspiciously, but he was right. In the darkest moments during Michael's disappearance, Fiona had been utterly terrified that she would never see him again. Her mind kept flashing back to Ireland and those days after Michael had left her alone and cold in their bed. Both times she had been afraid for him, and both times she had cried as images of his body raced through her mind. Without thinking, she reached out and gently touched Michael's arm, assuring herself that he was still okay and with her.
Michael turned his head in her direction. "Fi?"
"Sorry," she murmured apologetically. She caressed his skin lightly before removing her hand and returning her attention to her breakfast.
But suddenly she didn't have much of an appetite.
After breakfast, Sam gathered the dirty plates and piled them in the sink, then put all of the leftovers into the fridge. Fiona helped Michael into the living room before she joined Sam at the sink.
Sam looked at Fiona when she appeared at his side. "You okay, sister?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
He shrugged. "It's been a rough few days, and Mikey still isn't quite himself." He wouldn't be until he regained his vision, if he ever did.
"He's fine, Sam." Fiona bristled at the implication. Michael was safe with them, and he had regained his memory. The next step was helping him regain his eyesight, but that would have to wait until she eliminated Larry as a threat to Michael.
"Right." Sam focused on the pile of dirty dishes in front of him, and they slipped into silence as they both worried over Michael.
In no time the kitchen was clean again, and Fiona wiped her hands against her jeans while Sam grabbed a beer. They both had their own ways of dealing with this. Fiona immersed herself in caring for Michael, and Sam had his beers. Maybe not the most effective coping strategies, but strategies nonetheless.
In the living room, Michael could hear Fiona and Sam moving about, and he sighed. He resented and loved Fiona for her patience and unwavering support. He hated that he needed it at all, but she had reaffirmed for him just what kind of woman she was.
Sighing, he leaned back into the couch and tried to focus on something, anything, except for the blackness that surrounded him.
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In Miami, Madeline hummed softly as she moved around her house. She had been cleaning for the past few days to distract herself, but now the house was spotless and she was still worried about her son and the woman she considered a daughter.
The last that she had heard from them, Fiona had called to tell her that they had found Michael, and that he was alive but still blind. It had been a huge struggle on Madeline's part not to pack up right then and drive to the house where Sam and Fiona had taken her oldest boy. But Fiona had insisted that she stay exactly where she was, to make sure that no one followed her to the safe house. Madeline had reluctantly agreed.
Grabbing her cigarettes, Madeline pulled one out and placed it between her lips before lighting it up. As she exhaled, she saw a shadow on the other side of the room, and her stomach tightened. Fiona had mentioned that she should go somewhere safe as well, but she had stubbornly refused. According to Fiona, the man who had taken Michael only wanted Michael. She would be fine, and she wanted to be close to home anyway in case Fiona or Michael needed her.
She took another drag, but a noise caused her to spin around. Her eyes widened.
A man in his late fifties gave her a charming smile. "Hello, Madeline."
"Who the hell are you?" Madeline demanded, wishing that she was closer to the flower pot where she had hid one of her son's smaller caliber guns.
"I'm an old friend of your son's, and I'm looking for him."
Madeline put on her best poker face. "Nate isn't here."
"Oh, I'm not looking for Nate. I'm looking for Michael. And I think you know exactly where he is."
She put her cigarette out. "Actually, I don't. I think his girlfriend took him on a surprise getaway." The man in front of her looked perfectly normal, but she had a bad feeling about him. And she always trusted her gut instincts when it came to people.
"That's cute. You're actually a pretty good liar. You see, I know that Michael suffered a serious head injury that left him temporarily blinded, so Fiona wouldn't just whisk him away for a romantic tryst."
"How do you know that?"
"Oh, I have my ways." He gave her a deceptively charming smile.
Another man came up behind Madeline, and before she had a chance to cry out for help, a syringe was plunged into her neck. She stumbled and hit the floor.
Grinning widely, Larry grabbed her phone and scrolled through the numbers until he found what he was looking for. Then he hit the talk button and patiently waited.
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At the safe house, Michael was still sitting in the living room. Sam had left the house to get beer and yogurt, and Fiona had gone upstairs for a quick shower after Michael had convinced her that he would be fine alone.
Fiona's phone suddenly went off, and Michael, assuming it was Sam, hesitated before reaching over and feeling around until his fingers closed around it. Then he brought it up to his ear. "Yeah?"
Larry smiled. "Hey, kid."
Michael almost dropped the phone. "Larry… What the hell do you want?"
"I see that you've regained your memory. Good for you. You weren't yourself."
"And you lied to me," the younger man seethed. "I could have hurt Fiona!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm the bad guy, blah blah blah. We know this. You know what else I know? I know that your mom wears Trinity perfume."
Michael's stomach clenched. Larry had never seen his mom. That meant… "You lay a hand on her, and I will rip you apart," he snarled.
"Temper, temper, kid. I don't want to hurt your mom. I just want to see you."
The younger man snorted. "That would be kind of hard, considering I don't know where the hell I am."
"I do."
Michael felt sick. That meant that Fiona and Sam were in trouble, too. "What do you want?"
"To see you," Larry repeated patiently. "I'll come to you, and I'll bring Mommy dearest with me."
"In exchange for…?"
"You."
Michael swallowed hard. He knew that he was walking right into a trap, but he couldn't let anything bad happen to his mom. He had been protecting her all of his life, and he wasn't about to stop now. "Fine."
"Great!" Larry enthused. "But one more thing… if you say a word to Sam or Fiona, not only will I kill your mom, but I will track Nate and Ruth down, too. Their son's name is Charlie, right?"
Trapped, Michael spoke quietly. "I won't say anything." But he knew by agreeing to that, he was potentially signing Fiona and Sam's death warrants.
"Smart boy. I'll see you soon."
The line went dead, and the phone slid out of Michael's hand, onto the cushion beside him.
What the hell was he going to do?
Fiona came downstairs ten minutes later, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. She sat down beside Michael and smiled at him. "Hey… how are you feeling?"
Silently begging for her forgiveness, Michael spoke coldly. "God damn it, can't you just leave me alone for ten minutes?"
Fiona was taken aback. She knew that Michael might leash out, but she hadn't been prepared for it. "Michael…"
"What part of leave me alone don't you understand?" he snarled. "Get it through your head. I don't want you anywhere near me!"
Her own temper began to bubble up. "Do not-"
"What? Do not what?" he egged, turning in the direction that her voice had come from. Every word he said was tearing him up, but he had to get her out of the house, where she would be safe. "You're so desperate for time with me that you're being a nursemaid. I don't need a damn nurse! In fact, I don't need you!"
Fiona knew that he was angry, and that he didn't really mean what he was saying. But it hurt nonetheless. And since she couldn't take her aggressions out on him physically, she was left with only one option.
"Fine. I'll go."
"Good!"
She watched his face for any sign of remorse or regret, but there was nothing. Finally she walked out of the house, slamming the door behind herself.
Michael flinched when he heard the door slam, but he knew it was for the best. This way, she would be safe.
Outside, Fiona walked along the beach, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she fought her tears. Damn him! She knew that he had to get his hurt and frustrations out somehow, but she hadn't been expecting that. So she walked and walked.
Back in the house, Michael leaned back against the couch and rubbed his hand over his face.
"I'm so sorry, Fi."
To Be Continued...
A/N: Now, for some reason, I can't remember if Larry ever met Madeline or not, so for this story, I'm pretending that they haven't met. Thanks again for reading, everyone, and enjoy tonight's season premiere! Let's go, Michael and Fiona!