Disclaimer: Burn Notice or these characters don't belong to me unfortunately

Rating: T

AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed When the Bough Breaks. As promised here is the sequel.

I'd like to send special thanks to Purdys Pal who helped me deal with my mini meltdown when I sent her first drafts of this.

Cradle and All

Michael jolted awake and opened his eyes with a start. Turning onto his side, he reached out, expecting to find Fiona's warm body, but instead the bed was empty.

Sitting up, he climbed out of bed and pulled on his pyjama bottoms. His eyes flittered around the moonlit loft, trying to find her in the silvery darkness. "Fi?"

"In here," her voice sounded a little rough, and when he heard the toilet flush he walked towards the open bathroom door. He was totally unprepared to see her looking so pale and everything he'd planned to say to her suddenly disappeared.

"You look awful," he told her worriedly as he wrapped an arm around her to guide her towards the sink. Picking up her toothbrush he placed a line of minty toothpaste onto the brush before handing it to her.

Smiling gratefully, she took the brush from his hand and bent over the sink, taking comfort from the heat from his fingers as he rubbed her back. When she was finished, he ignored her protests and put his arm around her to guide her out of the bathroom and through the loft towards the bed. All the while keeping his worried gaze fixed on her pale features.

"Are you okay?" He asked when he sat them both down into the edge of the mattress.

Fiona tried to offer him a smile but all she could manage was a slight nod as she leant against his shoulder. She was grateful for his presence and more than happy to see him. The last few hours were becoming a blur in her mind and now that he was here beside her, she didn't want to remember anything except how good he made her feel.

"I got sick again," she groaned as she gravitated towards his warmth. There was something soothing about being wrapped up in his tenderness. "That's the fourth time tonight."

"Oh Fi," he sighed, stroking her arm lightly with his fingertips. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"You need to be alert when you go for your meeting," she sighed tiredly. "You've waited a long time for it."

"That doesn't stop me being here when you need me," he told her as his fingers traced patterns up and down her arm. "Do you need me to get you anything?"

Fiona shook her head and closed her eyes, leaning into his chest.

"I'm fine," she told him with a small smile when she unconsciously laid a hand over her stomach. "But, how many times can one person throw up in one night?"

Michael smiled sympathetically as he tucked her head beneath his chin. "I don't really know much about morning sickness," he sighed.

"Urgh," she groaned, wrapping her arms around him waist. "I wouldn't mind if it was just morning…but it's daytime…night time…any damn time…"

"Maybe you should ask my mom." He suggested sensitively, trying to soothe her with his touch.

"She told me to eat crackers…but how can I eat crackers when I throw up everything I eat…"

"I know," he soothed as he planted soft kisses into her hair. "We could call the doctor, maybe he can give you something…"

"No," pushing herself up so that she could see his eyes, she smiled despite her rolling stomach. "Other women cope with this. So can I."

"Okay," he told her softly as he manoeuvred them to lie back against the pillows and wrapping her in his arms. "I wish I'd listened more when Nate told me about Ruth and her morning sickness. I didn't really pay much attention."

Fiona lifted her head to smile weakly up at him, "Not the kind of thing a spy really wants to know?"

"Maybe not then," he told her as he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. "But this is you and our baby, so I wish I'd have paid more attention."

"That's good to know," she told him, leaning into him again. "I'm so tired."

Leaning down he placed feather light kisses over her forehead while his fingers played with the ends of her hair.

"Try and sleep," he told her, running his fingers in circles over her back.

Nodding silently, she couldn't help the sudden sting of tears that gathered in her eyes. "I'm so glad you're here."

"I'll always be here," he told her softly.

She was silent for a long time and Michael thought she had dozed off, but her voice caught him by surprise.

"Michael?"

"I thought you were asleep," he kept his voice low and held her to his chest a little tighter.

"Are you scared?" she asked quietly, her voice no more than a whisper.

"Terrified," he admitted on a sigh. He kissed her forehead again and inclined his head so that he could see her eyes in the darkness. "But we handle bombs and weapons on a daily basis, I'm sure we can handle a baby between us."

"Yeah," she agreed softly as she turned her head to place a kiss onto his bare chest. Shifting her body slightly she wrapped her arms around him and sighed against his skin

"What are you thinking?" he asked as he planted tiny kisses against her temple.

"We're really doing this aren't we?" she asked him, turning slightly to meet his eyes.

"Yes, we are," he whispered, his fingers brushing a strand of hair away from her eyes. "We're going to be okay."

Fiona kept her eyes on his as she slid her hand over his torso. "Can you even imagine us as parents?" she asked him, "Poor child."

"At least he or she will be able to take care of themselves," he smirked, unable to keep the happiness from his eyes.

"I can teach her how to make explosives," she chuckled. "She'll be transporting pipe bombs in her stroller instead of playing with dolls."

"I'll teach her self defence," he told her seriously. "If she's anything like her mother she'll have a long line of boys queuing up at the door."

"What about if it's a boy?" she asked with a bright smile. "I hope he has your chin."

"My chin?" he asked questioningly, glancing down at her.

"He'll need it when he pisses off his girlfriend!" her face lit up when he looked at her, her mischievous laughter causing his own lips to turn up into a smile.

"Maybe I should teach him how not to piss off his girlfriend," he laughed, pulling her to his chest and planting soft kisses against her forehead.

They were silent for a few moments before she spoke again. "Were you serious when you said we should move?"

Michael's hand stilled in her hair and he turned onto his side, pulling her around so she was facing him. "Yes, I was…why, have you changed your mind?"

"I like it here," she sighed. "It's the first real home we've ever had together…"

"But it's not the last," leaning forward, he placed a soft kiss onto her forehead. "We need somewhere solid for the three of us. I want somewhere safe for you and the baby when I'm away."

"Is there such a place?" she asked with a heavy sigh, knowing that there would be times when he got back in that his job with the government would take him away from home.

"There will be, Fi," he told her as he ran a hand sensuously over her arms. "Working for the government will have its…perks."

"I hope so," her voice broke into a yawn and she snuggled closer into his warmth. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to relax against him, letting the beat of his heart lull her to sleep.

000

When they arrived at Madeline's the next morning they were both surprised when the door swung open to reveal a very dishevelled Sam urging them inside.

"What's going on?" Michael asked when he came around the car to take Fiona's bag from her, ignoring the spark of annoyance that flashed in her eyes.

"Your mom's getting antsy, Mike," Sam huffed. "She swears she saw a mouse run behind the refrigerator and apparently it was my job to find it!"

Fiona shook her head and pushed past Sam to enter the house, calling Madeline's name as she went.

"Is she okay?" Sam asked Michael when he went with him to the trunk of the car to pull a large duffel bag out.

"She's cranky," Michael told him. "She didn't get a lot of sleep."

"Pregnancy's a bitch ain't it brother," Sam grinned as he took the bag from Michael's hands. "What the hell did you pack in this?" Sam grumbled as he moved closer to the door. "Did you bring everything from the loft?"

"For your information Sam, if I have to stay here while Michael is away, then I need my…stuff…" Fiona huffed when she appeared at the door again. Reaching out to take the smaller bag from Michael's hands, she shot him a glare when he snatched it away.

"I told you I could carry that one," she told him haughtily, attempting to shoot him an angry glare but failed miserably.

"You're pregnant," he told her firmly.

"I'm not disabled. I can still carry things on my own." Folding her arms across her chest.

Michael sighed heavily when he saw her watching him and nodded slowly before reaching out to put his free arm around her, squeezing her shoulder. "I know. I just want to take care of you, that's all."

"I know you do," she whispered against his ear. "But you have to let me carry on as normal. My life can't just stop because of the baby."

"So Fi," Sam asked, his voice interrupting their affectionate haze when he unzipped the heavy duffel bag to look inside. "Since when does making explosives become part of a sleepover?"

"I need to keep busy," she hissed at him as she moved away from Michael to push Sam's hands out of the way to re-zip the bag.

"Fi…" Michael's voice slowed with frustration, "we talked about this!"

"What?" she huffed. "Do you expect me just to sit around here and do nothing while you're away?"

"No, I expected you to rest."

"Well I—" her voice suddenly died on her lips when a bout of dizziness washed over her. Reaching out to him again, she grasped hold of his hands and closed her eyes.

"Fi, what's wrong?" His voice rose worriedly and she opened her eyes again and tried to focus on him.

"Just a little dizzy," she told him softly. "It'll pass in a minute."

"Come on," he handed the bag he was carrying to Sam and moved an arm around her shoulders as he guided her into his mother's house.

Madeline was there in an instant, hovering around them when Michael led her towards the couch. "What happened?"

"She's a little dizzy," Michael told her quickly. "Mom, can you get her some water?"

"I'm okay…" she shook her head. "I just need to sit down."

"Okay," he nodded worriedly as he hovered over her. "Are you sure this is supposed to happen? That's at least three times today that you've had to sit down because of this."

"I know as much as you do," she groaned, lying back onto the couch. "It wasn't like this last time."

"Maybe we should call the doctor and have him check you over." Madeline offered, casting Michael an anxious gaze.

"I'm fine."

Sam came into the room and dropped all the bags inside the doorway. He regarded the young woman's pale face before moving closer for a better look at her.

"I don't know Fi, you look kinda peaky."

"Yeah, well…" she started, a sarcastic reply already forming in her mind when the room suddenly started to spin. "Michael—" her voice echoed in her head and the last thing she saw before she passed out was his eyes grow wide with panic.

tbc