The next morning, Claire and Sammy's laughter echoed through the house as they ran into the bedroom, jumping onto the bed.
"Mommy!" Sammy yelled.
"Daddy!" Claire chimed in, crawling into the space where Sam should have been.
Fi sat up groggily, her face softening at the sight of the kids and Sam. She tried to scoop Claire into her arms, but she wriggled free, giggling, and crawled back to Sam. Both kids lay on him, snuggling close.
A while later Michael woke up, went out to the living room; not seeing anyone awake and the kids gone, he followed the sound when he heard giggling from the master bedroom. He found Sam lying in bed, Claire and Sammy snuggled against his chest as he read them a book. The kids didn't even notice Michael, both too engrossed in Sam's warm embrace and the rhythm of his voice as he read to them. Michael's chest tightened. Sam caught his eye and he closed the book saying, "Claire, Sammy I want you to meet your uncle Mike."
Michael blinked, surprised by Sam's choice of words, but then something inside him shifted. Uncle Mike. It felt… right. Less pressure. Less expectation, and the inclusion of Sammy also helped Claire not to be singled out. Claire and Sammy hesitated, leaning closer into Sam, their eyes darting between Sam and Michael. Instead of moving, both of them buried their faces in Sam's chest. Michael felt a pang of sadness but pushed it down, determined to make this easier for Claire—and for himself.
"It's okay, you two," Michael said softly, stepping into the room. He crouched down to their level, his tone gentle and open. "You don't have to come over if you're not ready. I just wanted to see how you guys were doing."
Sam glanced at Michael, catching the subtle shift in his demeanor. His expression softened, but he stayed quiet, letting Michael take the lead, but the look Michael gave him said help.
"How about we make pancakes? He's a great helper in the kitchen, like you two are, maybe better," Sam smiled.
"We're better, daddy," Claire said.
"Yeah! Way better, Daddy!" Sammy said.
'"Well I think we should show him, then," Sam said, as he got up.
The kids ran out to the living room. Michael just shook his head.
"You and Fi have your hands full. Where is she?"
"At work," Sam said, standing up.
Michael followed them, and as he did, his phone went off. Sam sighed as he watched him read it. "What's wrong?"
"They need me back. Jesse found a lead."
"Are you and Jesse still working together?"
"Uh, a bit more than that. We're kind of a thing. For the most part, you know me, I'm clearly not great at relationships." Michael gestured towards Claire.
"How long will you be gone?"
"Hopefully not too long. I have to get together with the team and figure it out. Could be weeks, months."
"Have you thought about retirement? Especially now." Sam pointed over at Claire.
"This is our last mission… Jesse wants to settle down. Have a family."
Michael's words hung in the air, and Sam raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.
"Settle down? Have a family? That's a hell of a shift, Mike. Does Jesse even know about Claire?"
Michael froze, his jaw tightening. He glanced toward the doorway where Claire had disappeared moments earlier.
"Not yet," he admitted, his voice low. "I wanted to wait until the timing was right. You know, figure out how to—"
Sam cut him off with a sharp laugh.
"The timing? Mike, she's already here. She's not some abstract plan you can ease into."
Michael stared at the ground, his fists clenching as the silence stretched. Sam stepped closer, lowering his voice but keeping it firm.
"Mike, you can't keep doing this to her. To us." Sam's voice softened, but there was no mistaking the resolve behind it. "She's a kid. She needs stability, not a father who drops in for a few weeks and then disappears for months on some mission."
Michael looked up sharply, guilt flickering in his eyes.
"That's why I want you to do what you do best."
"Cover for you? With your daughter?"
Michael flinched at Sam's sharp tone, but he didn't back down.
"No, that's not what I mean. I want you to be there for her—like you have been, ever since Fi told you, I'm assuming. You're better at this than me, Sam. Always have been."
Sam's eyes narrowed, his arms crossing tightly over his chest.
"Better at this? Mike, I'm not just 'covering' for deserves someone who wants to be a real part of her life, not a father who's always taking off."
Michael stepped forward, his voice dropping to a desperate whisper.
"You think I don't know that? You think I don't lie awake every night wondering what kind of father I'd be? Wondering if I even deserve her?"
"Then do something about it," Sam snapped, the frustration boiling over. "Stop running. Stop acting like being her father is something you can put on hold. You either step up, or you step aside."
Michael's breath hitched as he looked down, his hands clenched into fists again.
"And if I step aside… you'd take her? Be her father?"
"I already am, Mikey," Sam said, his voice unwavering. "I've been here. I've been the one tucking her in every night, she calls me daddy."
"Alright. I'll do it. I'll sign whatever you need." He turned back to Sam, his eyes glistening. "But promise me you'll tell her. When she's old enough to understand… promise me she'll know I did this because I love her."
Sam nodded, his throat tight with emotion.
"She'll know, Mike. I'll make sure she knows."
For a moment, neither man spoke, the weight of their decision settling over them. Then Michael straightened, his expression hardening as he reached for his phone.
"I'll call Jesse," he said quietly. "Let him know it's time for me to go."
Later that night Claire kept walking around, and Sam came up behind her, scooping her up as Fi did Sammy. After Sam got Claire settled, he made his way back to Sammy's room, watching as Fi finished putting him to bed. As they settled into bed Sam said, "I don't understand how a guy could do that to his own flesh and blood. Especially the way he grew up. You'd think he'd know better." Sam couldn't imagine abandoning Sammy, let alone his mother.
"Michael's always running away from his personal problems. If it has to do with the job he will always choose that over blood, it's just the way he's wired." Fi whispered.
Sam sighed heavily, his hand running absentmindedly over Fi's back.
"Maybe it's how he grew up—abusive father, never a stable home. Maybe that's part of it."
Fi's hand moved up to cup his cheek, her thumb brushing lightly against his skin.
"It's the way you grew up, too," she reminded him softly.
Sam nodded, a faint flicker of pain flashing in his eyes.
"Yeah," he admitted, his voice tight. "But I made a choice a long time ago to never be that man."
He stared at the ceiling for a moment, his mind drifting back to a childhood he tried not to think about too often.
"My old man... he didn't just have a temper. He was cruel. He'd knock me down for looking at him the wrong way, and if I didn't get back up fast enough, he'd kick me until I did. My mom tried to stop him a few times, but... after a while, she stopped trying. She just stood there and watched, because she knew it'd be worse for me if she stepped in."
Fi nodded, running a hand up and down his arm.
"I swore to myself that if I ever had kids, I'd never make them feel the way he made me feel. Scared, alone... worthless." His voice cracked on the last word, and Fi tightened her hold on him.
"You're nothing like him," she whispered fiercely. "You're the best father I've ever seen. Sammy and Claire—they adore you. And so do I."
Sam looked down at her, his eyes glassy with unshed tears.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said, his voice thick with emotion. He leaned in, brushing a tender kiss to her nose.
Fi nodded, her own eyes damp as she whispered back, "I know."
Sam nodded, his voice thick with emotion.
"And she's everything I never knew I needed. All three of you are."
Fi's eyes softened at his words, her fingers stilling on his arm as her lips curved into a faint smile. She leaned her forehead against his, closing her eyes for a moment to absorb the quiet intimacy of the moment.
"We're not going anywhere either," she murmured, her voice steady despite the emotions threatening to spill over. "We're in this together, Sam. Always."
He kissed her softly, trying to pour all his love into the kiss. As he pulled back, he said,
"I don't deserve you." His hand came up to cradle the back of her head gently.
"Yes, you do," Fi countered firmly, pulling back just enough to meet his gaze. Her hand moved to cup his cheek, her thumb brushing over the faint stubble there. "More than you know."
Sam swallowed hard, the lump in his throat making it difficult to speak.
"I promise you," Sam began, his voice low and steady, "I'm not going anywhere, Fi. I've made my mistakes, but I won't let her—or you—feel that kind of hurt. Not from me. Not ever. I…." Sam trailed off, not sure how to continue.
There was no hesitation in his gaze, only a quiet determination that made her chest tighten.
"You want more," Fi finished, sitting up and looking down at him.
Sam nodded, his expression unwavering as he sat up, cupping her cheek gently. His thumb traced her jawline before his hands slid down to her shoulders, his fingers brushing soft circles on her skin. "I want to be your anchor, your co-pilot, whatever you want me to be. But I want to be more, Fi. Not just for Claire and Sammy, but for you, too. You deserve someone who's all in. And I want to be that man—the one who's here for every little thing, every big thing, for the messy and the good. You and the kids…you're my world. You've given me so much, Fi. A family I never thought I'd have, love I didn't think I deserved. Let me give you the same. Let me show you what it's like to have someone who won't run, who won't ever leave, who's here for everything. I'm all in, Fi."
Her lips parted slightly, her breath catching at the depth of his words. For a moment, she rested her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around him tightly.
"I know you are; through everything, from the moment I told you I was pregnant with another guy's baby and you haven't left my side since."
He kissed her forehead, running his hand up and down her back, soothing both of them as they fell asleep.