Chapter 7

The news hit the airwaves the next day. Fiona moved back to her apartment with Kira, and although there was no reason for Michael to guard her, he remained with the two. His main motive was that he wanted to see if he had what it took to be a father. He was already convinced that Fiona would make a great mother, but he was completely unsure of himself. His dad was a terrible role model. Because Michael always strived to be the best he could be, he wanted to learn just how to master fatherhood. He didn't want to just work to pay the bills and throw a ball around now and then with the kids. Like everything else, if he was going to do it, he was all in.

Until Kira's parents returned for her, and as long as the CIA left him alone, he had time to immerse himself in Baby 101. "Fi."

"Yes, Michael?" She was finishing up giving Kira her breakfast.

He smiled self-consciously. "This is going to sound crazy."

"Really? Try me." She knew, by the way he looked at Kira, that it had something to do with the baby.

"I...I want to learn everything you know about taking care of a baby."

Her face couldn't have lit up any brighter if he'd told her he was buying her a new automatic sniper rifle on the black market. "That's fantastic! Michael, I'm so proud of you!"

"Yeah, well, don't be too excited. I just want to get an idea for what this is like. That's all."

Her smile didn't diminish at the words he used to mask the depth of his insecurity. "We can start with changing. Come on." She picked up Kira from the booster chair and carried her into the spare bedroom. Using the top of an unused dresser, a piece of plywood, and some vinyl covered foam rubber, she had created a changing area. "This is really quite simple." She showed him what to do, from removing the diaper and cleaning up, to affixing the tapes on the new diaper. "Granted, it's not as...fancy...as the one I made with a towel, but at least these don't require duct tape." She grinned.

"I wish I'd gotten a picture of that, Fi. That was classic." He laughed. "So, when do I get to try this?"

"I never thought I'd see you eager to change a diaper. Next time. Until then, just watch what I do." Fiona put an outfit on Kira and took her into the living room, and she sat her on the floor. "She's old enough to sit on her own, and she seems to like it better than laying flat on the floor. If I do that, she always turns herself over and wants to get moving."

As she spoke, Michael watched Kira lean forward for a toy, but then it was if she just realized that she was in prime position to get on her knees and crawl. She shifted herself until she was able to move toward Michael with a big grin on her face.

"Here, make her go for this," Fiona said as she handed Michael a toy. "Sit down over there and have her come to you. That seems to be her favorite toy, so maybe she'll go to you and get it."

"Are you sure? This seems like we're training a dog or something."

"Oh, Michael, don't be ridiculous! She loves this! Trust me."

"Okay." He sat on the floor about four feet away from Fiona and Kira. He held up the toy and jiggled it in the air, making it rattle. That got her attention, and she picked up one hand, twisted to her left, and put it down on the area rug. "You want this, Kira? Come here, and you can have it." He spoke to her in a normal voice, because he couldn't get himself to talk to her like his mother and Fiona did. He absolutely drew the line at baby talk!

It didn't seem to matter to Kira. She slowly moved forward. Michael could see that such a simple thing was still difficult for her, but in time she would develop the strength and coordination to do it almost effortlessly. Then she would try to walk. It boggled his mind how much she had to learn. He saw how thrilling it could be to watch his own child go through these stages, to cheer on and praise him or her when conquering another skill. He had a lot of time to ponder this as Kira approached him. She lightly slapped her hand on his crossed legs as she made it to the finish line, and he looked down at her with a smile and gave her the toy. She reached out for it and lost her balance, but he quickly grabbed her and sat her in his lap.

"That was amazing. Good job, Kira."

Fiona watched the emotions play across his face as he watched Kira crawl across the short distance. It pleased her to see him in awe of this little child. She knew his past and that his father showed little interest in his sons unless he used them as a punching bag. Michael didn't want to be his father, and somehow in his mind avoiding marriage prevented that from happening, and hiding behind his job kept him safe from experiencing the joys of a family. She'd never met Frank Westen, but Fiona knew that Michael was not the same man as his father. He never would be, because he had too much of his mother's good heart in him.

So she watched and smiled. This is it, Michael. This is our future, and I just know you're going to be a terrific dad. If you show a stranger's child this much care, just think of how you'll treat ours! Aloud, she said, "Now that the danger is passed, why don't we take Kira for a walk? Let's use that cute little stroller Sam brought."

"Okay. It'll be nice for her to get outside. Why don't we take her down to the beach?" He picked Kira up and lifted her so she was eye to eye with him. "How about that? Have you ever played in the sand? I bet you'll love it!" He remembered how his mom used to take him and Nate to the beach to get them away from his father and his drunken tempers. He never told her he was grateful for those times.

Fiona cringed. "I just hope she doesn't try to eat it. She's been putting everything into her mouth lately."

"We'll make sure that doesn't happen, won't we?" He lowered her so her nose nearly touched his, and she giggled. He raised her up quickly, which startled her a little, and then lowered her again, making her laugh. A blob of drool dripped right on his nose, and it was only through self-discipline that he didn't drop her. "Oh, Fi." He sat the baby on the floor and used the tissue that Fiona offered him to wipe off his nose. "That was gross."

Fiona laughed, and Kira fussed. "Oh, now you've done it. She loves that game!"

"What hanging over people and spitting on them?"

Fiona got up, shaking her head and grinning at him. "I'll get a bag ready, and then I'm going to change into a suit."

Once Fiona was ready and the stroller and supplies set, she dressed Kira in a hot pink swimsuit adorned with butterflies that she found in the clothing Sam's neighbor provided. Michael didn't bring a suit, so on the way to the beach he drove them to the loft so he could do a quick change. Before they hit the sand, they took Kira for a walk on the paved path that meandered along the beachfront.

Fiona watched the reactions from passersby as she and Michael walked with Kira in the stroller. The little girl was a cutie, and she hoped that they could have a child just as adorable. Michael pushed the stroller, and Fiona walked close beside him, amazed that he wordlessly volunteered to push it. She didn't think he would. She assumed that he would think it not very manly to push a stroller that had such a girly decor, but he didn't bat an eyelash at it. Kira squealed in delight at the people and the sights, banging her hand on the tray as if asking Michael to go faster.

"Hey, isn't that Sam over there?" Fiona snaked her hand around Michael's upper arm and pointed her chin toward a bench.

"Yeah, that's him alright." Michael smiled. "That must be the elusive Gina with him."

"Ohhh, good! Let's go and meet his flavor of the month!"

"Now Fi, he's not that bad!" He glanced down at her and saw she was joking, but sometimes he wondered about her sense of humor, especially when it came to Sam.

"Oh, Michael, you know I didn't mean anything by it. Come on, let's go say hello."

They neared the couple and found them sharing a slushy. Sam held the cup, and they each had a plastic spoon. Out of the corner of his eye he saw them, then whispered something to the woman. She turned to look at them behind large sunglasses, an intent look on her face.

"Hey Mike, Fi." Sam looked down at the stroller and grinned at Kira. "Hey, sweetie pie! Are you still with them? I thought you'd get bored with these two by now!" Michael stopped the stroller in front of the couple, and Sam stuck his spoon into the slushy and reached out to tweak Kira's cheek. She giggled.

"Andrea and Kyle haven't come to get her yet," Fiona said. "We left a note on my door just in case they do stop by while we're gone."

Sam nodded. "Mike, Fi, this is Gina Caprioni. Gina, my friends, Michael Westen and Fiona Glenanne."

"Very nice to meet you," Gina said with a smile as she extended her hand and shook theirs. "Sam told me how you all were taking care of this precious little girl. I think that is so sweet."

"She needed our help, and we couldn't refuse." Michael said it as if it was just as simple as that.

Gina's smile widened. "Well, whatever the reason, I have to say you three look like a beautiful family."

Fiona gave Michael a glance. "Thank you, Gina."

"Well, we didn't really come over here to interrupt," Michael said. "Just wanted to meet you."

Gina nodded. "It's nice to meet Sam's friends. Now, when he talks about you I can picture you all in my head."

"Mike, are you two just going to hang onto Kira until her parents show up?"

"I'm not sure what else we can do, Sam. Paxson hasn't said anything, and if she wasn't okay with it, you know she'd send a social worker to Fi's place." Michael shook his head. "She's better off with us for the time being."

Sam looked up at his friend, astonished at the calm with which Michael was taking this. Sam remembered hearing how he reacted when Nate brought Charlie to the Westen house. He was completely lost and didn't even know how to hold him. Now, he stood confidently, his hands loosely grasping the stroller handle like a seasoned father. It was obvious to Sam what was going on: Mike was taking advantage of this time, preparing for the biggest mission of his life.

Kira screamed, waking both Michael and Fiona from a deep sleep. He sat up, and before Fiona could reach her he had his gun out, sweeping the room. A dim light from the parking lot filtered through the curtains, giving him just enough illumination to see that there was no intruder.

"Fi, what's wrong with her?" He tamed his shallow breath.

"I don't know. She's not wet. She shouldn't be hungry." Fiona turned on a lamp and sat on the edge of the bed with her. Kira stuck her fingers in her mouth and gnawed on them even as she cried. Fiona touched her forehead. "Michael, she feels warm. I think she's sick!"

"Now, wait a second. I seem to remember something in an article in that magazine." Michael stowed his gun in the night stand and hurried into the other room where he knew he'd last seen the parenting magazine. He returned, flipping through the pages. "Oh yeah, here it is." He turned it around so she could see the page.

Fiona read where his finger pointed. "She's teething?"

"Well, it's worth a shot to check. I mean, look at her, she's trying to chew her fingers off, she's drooling like crazy...here, let me see her." He took Kira out of her arms and sat closer to the light. Then he spoke to her calmly, softly, as if he were trying to coerce a suspect into giving up his gun. "Come on kiddo, open up. Let me see." He had to pull her hand away, which only caused her to cry more. She stuck it back in, and he pulled it away again. For such a little kid, she was strong. She screamed and kicked at his knee, but he ignored it. Laying her back against his arm, he pinned her right arm between her body and his, and he pulled her jaw down. "Look there, Fi on her top gum. There's a bump that's kind of white."

"Oh sweetie, it's your first tooth!" Fiona almost squealed in delight, and Michael stared at her. She quickly restrained herself. "I'll be right back. Madeline gave me a teether for her and told me to put it in the freezer. I'll get it."

Kira continued to cry, and with no idea what to do, Michael began to rock her in his arms. Between her crying and his inexperience, he did what he always did in situations where he'd lost all control: he followed instinct. He kept talking to her, trying to get her to focus on him and not the pain. "Shh, it's okay, Kira. Fiona's going to get something to make it feel better. It'll be okay."

"Here you go, let her gum on that." She handed him a rubberized ring that had a frozen liquid inside. It was hard but still flexible.

"That's cold," Michael said.

"Of course! It won't help if it's warm! Give it to her!" That was the closest she'd gotten to yelling at him since the baby came to stay with her.

"Okay, okay!" He pushed the ring into Kira's open mouth. Miraculously, she clamped down on it for a few seconds and probed it with her gums, but it was so cold, she spit it out again and started to cry for another round.

"Oh brother, that's not going to work." Michael snapped his fingers. "Fi, get that baby Tylenol. We feed her some of that, the pain goes down, and maybe she'll get some rest." Fiona hurried to the bathroom to get the medicine. Michael shifted the baby in his arms. "And maybe Fiona and I will get some more rest too, huh?" She continued to cry. Michael held onto the teether with his fingers, then took one finger and pressed it to her gum. For a few seconds, her face changed. She liked that.

"Here it is. Now, let me give it to her." Fiona dropped the medicine into Kira's mouth. The baby worked it over in her mouth and made a face, but it went down. "Good. She took it. I wonder how long before this stuff takes effect." She studied the side of the bottle.

"Fi, can you get me a cold washcloth?"

"Sure." She rushed back to the bathroom.

He heard water running. "Don't worry, Kira. We'll make this all better." He smiled at her. "All better, I promise!"

"Here, Michael. What are you going to do...seriously? You're not really putting that into her mouth?"

"It's cold, but not like the teether. See? It's working!"

Fiona stood with hands on hips, incredulous, as Kira settled down. When she started to whimper again, Michael moved the washcloth to a cold spot. Fiona said, "I don't think that's going to work for long."

"No, we have to figure out how to keep it cold, but not freezing. Wrap the teether in the washcloth. That's a lot to put in her mouth, but it's worth a try."

Eventually, they found a linen napkin wrapped around the teether worked just fine. By then, a combination of the activity, the pain, and the medication made Kira tired, and she fell asleep in Michael's arms. Both Fiona and Michael breathed a sigh of relief and went back to bed. Thankfully for them, she slept through the rest of the night.

"You know, it's awfully sweet that you're staying here with us." Fiona smiled at him as she put Kira down on the floor with her toys. "And last night, well, that was above and beyond."

"I'm learning a lot about this parenting stuff. And besides, I want to be here when Kyle and Andrea come back. Just in case."

"Just in case I decide to strangle them for abandoning their child?" Fiona asked, her head tilted and her hands clasped into fists. "It still upsets me that they did this!"

"I know. I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly." A knock on the front door got their attention. Michael turned toward it. "Fi, stay with Kira." He approached cautiously, looked through the sheers covering the glass from the inside, and his body relaxed. "It's Paxson."

"Wonder what she wants?"

Michael opened the door wide. "Detective Paxson, to what do we owe this surprise visit?"

"Mind if I come in?" She looked around past him and took in the apartment. "Nice place."

"Sure." He held out an arm and invited her in. A woman followed her. "I'm sorry, who...who is this?"

"Vanessa Holman. I'm with Social Services."

"Social Services?" Michael's eyebrow went up. Perhaps he had underestimated Paxson and her encouraging them to keep Kira. "I don't know why you had to get involved. We're just waiting for the Rollinses to come pick up their daughter."

Ms. Holman gave Michael a thin smile. "I'm sure you are, Mr..."

"Westen. This is Michael Westen, and Fiona Glenanne." Paxson introduced Fiona, who approached them with Kira in her arms, holding the baby tightly against her.

"Are you two married?"

"Does that matter?" Michael answered quickly and glanced at Fi.

"No." She looked uncomfortable for asking, but quickly recovered. "Well, I'll take the baby with me, and she'll be placed in foster care until her parents come to claim her."

"She's been doing fine with us for the past few days," Fiona protested. "Why can't we keep her? Surely the Rollinses will come here first, if they remember where they left her!"

The protectiveness in Fiona's voice surprised the woman, but she held her ground. "I understand, Miss Glenanne, but it really is best for the baby."

"Kira. Her name is Kira," Michael said with a stony expression. He didn't like the way the woman spoke, cold and professional. As a spy, he could understand when there were times to talk that way. But this was different. They were dealing with another human being, not an object. He watched as her eyes shifted around, examining the apartment. Either she was very concerned about the regulations, or she was hiding something. "Ms. Holman, are you sure there isn't anything we can do to keep Kira here? Papers we could fill out to be her foster parents..."

"No, I'm sorry, Mr. Westen. There's more to it than just filling out some forms. By the time you got through our program, the parents will probably have already picked her up." She held out her arms. "Please, let me have Kira."

Everyone looked at Fiona as she stood with the baby, her hand cupped over the little head, pressing her closely to her chest. Michael hadn't seen that haunted look in her eyes since they were in Ireland, not long after her sister Claire died. It was happening all over again. He knew she shouldn't have fallen so deeply in love with Kira, but she did, and now it was time to pay the price. He'd hoped they would have had at least a day to get used to the idea, but it wasn't meant to be.

"Fi," he spoke her name softly. "Fi, you have to let her take Kira."

"No, no. We haven't had time to say goodbye," Fiona mumbled.

"Is there any way you can let us have a little time," Michael pushed gently.

Ms. Holman shook her head and her voice trembled slightly as she replied. "I'm sorry, I need to take her now."

He crossed his arms, stared at her and asked, "Do you have some paperwork authorizing this pick up?" For some reason, his instincts told him to be wary of this woman. Or maybe it was just a need to be protective, for Fi and Kira's sake.

The woman looked up at Michael, her eyes full of fear. "Please, just let me have the baby, now."

Her desperate plea only made him more cautious, and he studied her. At his side, Fiona backed up a step as if she sensed danger. Paxson watched the drama unfolding, the look on her face showing she wasn't sure what to make of things. But suddenly, Michael knew. "Andrea. You're Andrea Rollins."

"No, I'm Vanessa Holden."

"Holman. Or Holden. Which is it?" Michael's eyes met hers, and he wouldn't let her look away. She wouldn't answer him, and he reached out and pulled at the silky dark brown hair that hung to her shoulders. The woman ducked and tried to get away, but he was too fast. The wig came off in his hand.

Paxson stood with mouth slightly agape. "H-how'd you know, Westen?"

"Something about her urgency didn't feel right." He smiled at the detective. "You work in the government long enough, you know that there are procedures for everything. This whole pick up was just too rushed, and there would have been paperwork for us to sign, no doubt."

"Please, I just want my baby back!" Andrea cried as she reached out toward Fiona.

Fiona turned to Michael as if she expected him to either intervene or give her an answer on what she should do. He said, "Why don't we all just have a seat and talk about this?"

Andrea sat on one end of the couch, Fiona with Kira on the other. Michael and Paxson each took chairs facing them, and he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Andrea, where have you and Kyle been the past few days? Why did you drop Kira off here?"

The woman held herself tightly and rocked slightly as she answered. "We-we were being chased by these men. Kyle said they wanted something, something he didn't have. What they wanted was at the office. He said they would kill us if they caught us, so we ran. We found a car and someone had just left the keys in it. Stupid, huh?" She glanced at Michael and Paxson, then continued. "So we took it and drove around for awhile trying to figure out what to do with Kira. We didn't want her to get caught up in this. Then I remembered this lady from my book club. She lives in this complex, and...and I was in such a state, I was trying to remember her address. I had the right address, 1C." She smiled sheepishly. "Only I realize now I had the wrong building."

"So you thought you were leaving Kira at her apartment, not mine," Fiona said, trying to make sense of this story.

"Yes. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to inconvenience you." She met Fiona's eyes, but she could see it had been anything but trouble. Then she looked around the room and saw the toys, the stroller, and all the other things that were obviously brand new. "It looks like I found the right place anyway. Do you take care of other children, Miss Glenanne?"

"No. Michael and our friend Sam went out and bought most of this. Some of the other things Sam borrowed from a neighbor lady."

"Wow." Andrea's eyes began to fill with tears. "You did this for a strange baby? You could have taken her to the real Social Services..."

"It was too risky," Fiona interrupted. "We didn't want anything to happen to Kira. And when Harding's men discovered that she was here, we evacuated and took her to a safe house." Fiona smiled. "She couldn't have been in better hands all this time, Andrea. We love...loved her like she was our own."

"After everyone was rounded up, I recommended that they bring Kira back here, because I knew you would be coming back to get her," Paxson added. "I don't understand why you had to put on this disguise."

"Kyle was afraid that he would be implicated in the theft from Aerocorp. Mr. Westen, I swear that he had nothing to do with it! The last thing he'd want to do is risk his family for something like that, not to mention the fact that he would be betraying his country by stealing from the company."

"Apparently that didn't stop Rob Lennox," Fiona said with contempt in her voice.

"I know. I'm still in shock over that. Rob was a good guy. We hung out with his family!" She swiped at her eyes and sniffled. "He wanted Kyle to give him what he wanted, but Kyle wouldn't do it. Then he found out that Rob had the security settings changed on his door so he couldn't get into his own office. He knew then that we were in trouble. That's when we ran."

"Where is Kyle, Mrs. Rollins," Paxon asked.

"Is...is he in trouble?"

"Well, you two did steal a car." Paxson replied smartly. "And you left your baby unattended."

"Not exactly," Fiona said. "I was at home and Kira was out there for maybe a few seconds, half a minute, tops."

Paxson looked from Fiona to Andrea and back, and her eyes finally settled on Fiona. "Is that the story you'd swear to?"

"It's the truth." Fiona set her chin, while her eyes slid to Andrea and she smiled at her. "So there's only the issue of the car theft."

"Yes," Paxson said with narrowed eyes focused on Fiona, and then they turned to Andrea. "So, Mrs. Rollins, where is Kyle?"

"I don't know." She broke down into tears, and everyone sat in their places, unsure of what to do. After a few minutes, she settled down and accepted a box of tissues that Fiona got up to bring her. "Thank you." She blew her nose and swiped at it a few times before collecting herself. "He dropped me off at the station with this disguise and told me to get Kira. Then he said he would meet me in a couple hours at the marina." She sniffled. "I-I think he has a friend with a boat, and he was planning to have him take us out of the country."

Paxson asked, "Why would he want to do that? He came out of hiding, so obviously he knew that Harding, his men, and Lennox were all apprehended. It was safe."

"I know. Like I told you, he's scared that he'll be lumped in with them, so he thinks it's better if we just leave the country."

Paxson leaned forward and said, "No, it's best for him to stay here. He can serve as a witness, and if he agrees to testify, I'm sure the DA will ignore the auto theft charge. After it's over, if you two need protection, you'll get it." She met her eyes with a determined expression. "I guarantee it."

Andrea fought the urge to dissolve into tears again. "What time is it?"

"It's almost noon," Michael answered.

"I'm supposed to meet Kyle at one at the marina."

"I'll call Sam and see if he can meet us there." Michael stood and pulled out his phone. "Somehow I have this feeling we're going to need him. Jesse's out on a charter boat, otherwise I'd call him too."

"Do you think there'll be trouble," Andrea asked, but Michael had already left the room. She turned to Fiona. "Does he think something bad is going to happen?"

"We'd rather be safe than sorry," Fiona answered her. She scooted closer to Andrea and still held Kira, but when the baby looked at the woman without the wig, she beamed.

Andrea's face transformed, and she grinned as she held out her hands. "Hi, sweetpea! You wanna come to Mama?"

Kira wiggled in Fiona's grasp, so she handed her over to Andrea. It tore out a piece of her heart, but deep down she was glad that the girl's mother was safe and sound. She was where she belonged, and soon she would see her daddy, too. She tried to feel better about the whole thing by using that rationale, but it fell flat. She would miss Kira terribly. There was no getting around it.

"Sam will meet us there," Michael announced as he returned to the room. "He and Gina were having brunch nearby, so it'll be no problem."

"Is he prepared?" Fiona looked up at him.

"Oh yeah, no problem. We should probably go now, get there a little early and check things out." He motioned for Andrea to stand, and she got up with Kira firmly in her arms. "We've got a car seat in Fi's car. Paxson, do you want to follow us?"

"I've got your back, Westen."