"So," AJ says, leaning over the counter and examining Mike quietly. "Back where we started, I see."
Mike exhales, lifting Sara up and spinning her around before settling her back down and hugging her tightly, raising an eyebrow towards AJ. "Yeah, well. it wasn't my intention, but it happened."
"I get most of it," AJ muses, rubbing her fingers over the kitchen counter dividing them. "What I don't understand is why you didn't just pay him instead of risking this, or something worse, to happen. We talked on and on about what if Gargano knew our secret, and it ends up just being a money thing? We could've afforded to pay Lumis off at least ten times over."
Mike shrugs. "Sure, we could've, but I didn't want us to have to. His price kept raising, and I was getting tired of it. Besides, what was he going to spend that money on? More crappy paint supplies?"
AJ sighs. "I get that, I do, but maybe when he started stalking Maryse and the girls, you should've taken that as a sign and did whatever to keep him happy and away from targeting anyone else. You know?"
"You and your logic," he sighs. "Listen, I know I messed up a lot during the last few weeks. But what can I say? My intelligence boost was in Pennsylvania for months, and it was really really hard to think in a way that made sense."
AJ laughs, then rolls her eyes, finally crossing the island and walking up to him, wrapping her fingers around his jaw. "You ridiculous man," she says fondly. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," he says. "Sara, you ready for bed?"
She whines and snuggles deeper into her father, desperate for some more time together after all of the weeks without seeing him. "Noooo," she whimpers.
"Aw, baby, look. You get some sleep right now, and we'll play together all day tomorrow, alright? How's that sound?" He stands and hoists Sara up onto his shoulder, rocking her as she digs her fingers into his shirt.
"But..."
"but you're very tired," Mike says. "I'd love to spend some time together right now, but you'll be sleepy and sad. It'll be better for us to do it tomorrow. I promise."
"Pinky promise?" she asks, holding her little hand out.
"Yes!" Mike says, curling his finger around hers and lightly shaking. "I'll read to you until you sleep," he whispers to her, continuing on his way to her bedroom.
It feels like it takes forever for Sara to finally give up on her little remaining consciousness and sink into a deep, peaceful sleep, Mike very careful to put the book down, dim the lights, and carefully push the door in most of the way.
He makes his way to their bedroom and stops short, finding AJ sprawled out over the bed, a familiar glint in her eye. "Hi, husband," she says, smoothing her hands over their sheets. "So if you're playing with the kids all day tomorrow, do you have a little free time for me?"
He stares at her and immediately shuts the door behind him. "I'll make time," he swears, crawling up the bed on his knees towards her. "You're so beautiful," he sighs, finally getting to ghost his hands over her skin.
"So are you," she says with a grin as he leans in and kisses down her jaw, enjoying each taste he gets of her skin. "i've missed you so much," she sighs, tangling her fingers in his hair and guiding his mouth lower down her sternum. He hesitates and breathes sharply between the cups of her bra, slowly reaching up to unclasp it. She arches slightly as the fabric slides off of her, and Mike pulls back to look at her, watching as he leaves a trail of kisses against her skin.
"I love you," he says into her skin, and she keens. "So much. The last few months have been so difficult, I've missed you, I've missed the kids, I've missed this." He rests his face against her and looks up, smiling as she gazes down at him, a dazed look in her eye.
"Mike," she breathes out, letting out a soft yelp as he grips her and settles her down against the pillows, blanketing her and slowly letting his hands and mouth explore as they choose to. "Oh," she breathes. "I'm so happy Alicia is ok... and I'm so so damn glad we're all home where we belong now..."
He tangles his fingers in hers, shifting forward to look her in the eye. "So am I," he tells her, helping to ease the rest of her clothing out of the way.
When she gasps, he kisses her, getting an even better taste of her as he teases her with gentle licks. She whimpers and tugs him closer, gasping as he braces her lower back and hips, their bodies pressing close together. "I need you," she murmurs into his ear.
"You always have me," he tells her, tracing gentle shapes against her skin. "Forever, and ever. No matter where we're at, what we're doing. I'm yours."
"And I'm yours as well," AJ murmurs, cradling his face in her shaking hands. "Mike..."
"AJ," he breathes, shifting to kiss her palm. "I love you so much, it overwhelms me sometimes."
She smiles. Kisses him again. "I know exactly what you mean," she sighs, slipping her foot up his thigh and guiding him again as finally, finally, he grips her hands and presses them into the pillows, breathing deeply.
"You ready?"
She rolls her eyes at him, tugs at him. "I've been ready for months, Mike-" Her words die away on a gasp as he finally sinks down and kisses her deeply, the two of them quickly finding a rhythm, the bond between them easily reawakening as they murmur lovingly to each other, slowly finding their usual ease with each other, their memories of favorite things and deftly avoiding what isn't adding to the intensity and adoration between them.