One Year Later

She woke to find his mouth resting atop the curve of her stomach, hands gently meandering around her waist. It had become something of a habit, one that reminded her how protective he was and how her presence grounded him so much. It was a reminder for him that he was somewhere safe now, that their family was the only thing important now. The pregnancy hadn't exactly been expected, and it had been overwhelming to even think about raising a child together when they were still doing so much healing themselves. It had seemed so sudden, not necessarily that they didn't eventually want kids together again, but that they hadn't expected to be making that decision so soon.

He heard quiet crying on the other side of the bathroom door and knocked gently.

"Sweetheart?"

She looked up at the door, tears blurring her vision.

After calling her name a few more times, he tried his hand at the doorknob, realising it was unlocked. He found her sitting on the tiles, hugging her knees to her chest, and gripping something tightly in her hand.

"Hey…" He said softly, crouching down beside her. Michelle didn't meet his eyes as she passed the object over to him.

Tony silently examined the positive pregnancy test.

"I…I don't know what to do. I want this. I want this so badly with you. But I can't even feel that part of me because the rest of me is so scared of putting ourselves and this baby in danger." She stifled another sob. "I-I don't know if I can do this, but I want to. I want us to have our family, I want us to have the life we always wanted together. B-But…"

He took her in his arms, feeling moisture settle on his shoulder. "If it were a decade ago, I would have said 'yes' in a heartbeat. But right now…I-I don't know either. If there was a guarantee we'd be safe, it'd be different."

"Even if we were…I…with everything I've done, I don't think I have the right to be a parent."

When he tilted his head at her, he saw how ashamed she looked and pursed his lips, tucking a hair behind her ear. "We've done a lot of healing, you and I. And we're going to keep healing. It wouldn't be easy, but even in a perfect life, parenting is never simple. There'll be things we disagree on, and we'll have to find a way to let our kid have a life without wrapping them in bubble wrap. But we wouldn't be alone. We have Jack. And maybe we'll have our families soon too."

"W-What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that." He let out a breath. "If we ever get the news that nobody's coming after us, that we're safe, there's nothing that would make me happier than having children with you. That's never changed, Michelle. We've both been through hell and back, we deserve to be happy and have another chance at the life we wanted. And there is nobody I trust more than you to keep our family safe."

"You mean it?" She whispered.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"I wish we knew what was going on. I…I don't want us to get our hopes about something that might not ever happen."

"We have a bit of time, right? Until…until we have to decide if we want to keep it."

"Y-Yeah…"

Tony clasped her hand in his. "If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen, but if it does…then we'll figure it out together. I…I want to do this with you Michelle."

Michelle looked up at him, smiling weakly. "I do too."

However, by some miracle, on the day they had to decide whether or not to keep the pregnancy, the FBI had finally been able to close the investigation on Alan Wilson and his associates. They would still be hunting down some information and loose ends. But from what they'd gathered, there was no reason for anybody to believe that a plan to hurt either of them was afoot since most of Wilson's associates were either dead or incarcerated. Staying in Witness Protection would be ideal, just in case, but they didn't have to hide away entirely, they could make contact with their loved ones, and they'd still have some agents keeping watch from afar. So with that incredibly relieving and liberating news, they'd decided to keep the baby, the two of them feeling both able and more than willing to commit to parenthood. Or rather, babies. She was having twins, a boy and a girl, by the looks of it. And despite all the anxiety around that, they couldn't be happier. They were safe, they were healing, things were going to be okay.

They'd worked to renovate the house they were living in, and while Michelle still occasionally took some private consulting work, Tony had decided that he still wanted to find a new calling in life. When he'd told Michelle one day he wanted to take a short course to become a qualified counsellor, she hadn't been able to contain her pride for him. He was taking all of the heartache they'd been through and channelling it into not only healing their family but also other people.

He kissed the top of her belly again, indicating that he was awake, and she stroked a faint scar on his shoulder with her thumb, tracing up to his neck. Tony moved up, meeting her mouth with his. They faced each other on their sides, simply listening to each other breathe, their gazes loving. Again, her thumbs found themselves lightly tracing the scars on his chest. He frowned a little, looking down at her hands. To her, they just represented the fact that he was strong, that he'd fought, that he'd endured. But to him, they just represented a past he so desperately wanted to move on from. Although now with his new career focus, he'd been disliking them less and less.

"I thought of something. I know you're trying to work on liking, or at least, not hating them as much. What if you covered it up?"

His brow knitted at the slightly sly smile she was giving. When he realised what she was hinting at, he let out a small laugh. "You mean like…a tattoo?"

Michelle shrugged. "I don't know. I know you never really wanted them for yourself, just thought it might be something nice. Give you something different to look at every day."

To her surprise, he seemed to be genuinely contemplating this. "I mean…I actually don't mind the idea. And I'm sure it can't hurt that much, given what I've been through."

That was unfortunately likely true, she supposed.

"But I wouldn't even know what to get." His eyes roamed down her body with appreciation. The way he looked at her still never failed to make her blush.

"I think you've got some inspiration in front of you…" She murmured, leaning in to kiss him again. He smiled against her, taking the excuse to slide his hands over her body, peering over her shoulder at the phoenix.

"As much as I love yours, I know they're personal to you. I don't want to take that away from you."

He was being so respectful, so understanding of why she had them, how they served almost as a journal of her life. But he was such a huge part of her life. It only made sense to share that with him. And Michelle figured she had just the right one in mind. It could be small to start with, but easy to expand if he ever wanted to.

She brought his hand to her hip.

"The birds?"

Michelle nodded. "Freedom. I got them when I made it out on my own, but I think you deserve something to commemorate yours too."

He squeezed her thigh, as though approving.

"I want five of them. One for you, one for me, two for the kids, and one for Wrigley."

Her hand slipped to cover his.

"Sounds like a plan. Then I'll get five more too, once I've had the kids. Maybe in a different colour, so I remember which ones they are. I think it's perfect."

Tony cupped the back of her neck, pulling her head towards his so their lips could touch.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too."