Title: In a Minute
Fandom: Prison Break
Characters: Michael, Lincoln
Prompt: 003: Ends.
Word Count: 1,103
Rating: PGish
Summary: There's still that last little bit of hope that someone might burst through the door and save his life because it can't possibly end this way.
Disclaimer: Paul Scheuring and a whole lot of other people who aren't me own Prison Break.
He's going to die in one minute. There's one more minute left of his life. He doesn't understand why they have to wait until that exact time to do it – all this procedure just to kill a man, he almost wishes they would just do it and get it over with.
Almost. Because there's still that last little bit of hope that someone might burst through the door and save his life because it can't possibly end this way.
And then someone does.
It's a woman and a couple of men he doesn't recognize, but Veronica and Nick Savrinn are there bringing up the rear and waving some papers around. The Warden shouts for the executioner to wait and Lincoln's heart is beating so wildly he feels like he's going to pass out. The group of them are speaking in frantically muttered tones that he can't hear much of no matter how he strains against the straps holding him down.
Finally the Warden looks up from the papers and tells the guards to release him and Lincoln is soaring. He rushes to Veronica as soon as he's able and crushes her to him, not knowing exactly what's happened but knowing it's good news.
She tells him that the man she went to meet gave her everything they needed and she took it straight to the governor. She whispers in his ear that he's a free man and he holds her even harder.
They move from the execution room finally, and Michael appears, rushing towards Lincoln the way he did at Veronica a few minutes ago. They embrace and Michael clutches his neck and shudders against him and Lincoln can feel wetness against his cheek but he's not sure whether it's Michael's tears or his own.
Lincoln is given a full pardon and, as Veronica promised, becomes a free man just a few days later. The conspirators are exposed and his son is proved innocent. There are more tears upon their reunion and Lincoln promises never to leave him alone again.
They spend the next two years living just outside of Chicago. Lincoln tells LJ that they need to have a normal life, have to be men and stick it out here despite the constant spectacle that continues to surround them and the bad memories that haunt their home. But really they're biding their time here until Michael's release. Lincoln can't go anywhere until his brother is free.
Michael lays low during those two years, keeps out of trouble and is miraculously left alone, and when his release comes Lincoln packs his family up without preamble. They move south, leaving everything, every fear, every scar, every ounce of blood behind them. Veronica goes with them and a year later she and Lincoln are married on a sunny beach in Costa Rica.
LJ opts to stay nearby, living at home through college and then getting an apartment a few miles away. He tells Lincoln that he wants to be a writer and Lincoln laughs a little at this, and then LJ writes several short stories that are published in a few magazines before winning a commission for his first novel. Several others follow it, mysteries mostly, and he makes a nice living for himself.
Michael does odd construction jobs with Lincoln for a few years and dates sporadically before meeting the woman who will become his wife. Lincoln comes up with various moneymaking ideas – tour business, boat-construction, crafts stand – before he sets his heart on the two of them owning a bar and eventually Michael caves and goes into business with him.
They argue and squabble and shout at each other over the layout, drinks, clientele, atmosphere, and one day an argument spins out of control and they come to blows over Lincoln's criminal record, each shouting things they'll come to regret later. Lincoln swears up and down that that life is done with and Michael, he realizes, doesn't quite believe that, so Lincoln calls him a dumb fuck for giving up his oh so perfect life to try and get him out if he really feels that way, especially since his brilliant plan didn't even work. They lash out at each other and then stumble away with broken fingers and bloody jaws and Lincoln doesn't see his brother for a week. It's the longest they've been apart in years and it makes Lincoln irritable and homesick.
Michael shows up on Lincoln's doorstep one afternoon and they head out to sit on the beach, beers in bandaged hands. They sit for hours in the sand and drink and talk about nothing.
The bar is successful and years pass and Lincoln is happy. He and Veronica have two more children, Michael has a daughter that he names after their mother, and Lincoln sometimes thinks that this is exactly how life should be – happy, doing something you love, and surrounded by family. He slowly forgets what it felt like to wrestle with himself, to feel constantly nervous and agitated and always looking around for the next fix, next score, next job. He forgets what it's like not to feel calm and happy and content and loved.
They grow older and Michael only once lets slip out a joke about how Lincoln will probably die first.
Lincoln reaches his 90th birthday and marvels at how quickly time passes. His kids are grown and out on their own, and he and Michael are both retired now with one of Lincoln's sons running the bar. They spend most of their days now sitting out on the beach together, drinking beer and talking about nothing. That's where they are when Lincoln starts to feel the first few tugs of death.
He looks over at his brother and thinks about how he never really thanked Michael for the sacrifices he made. But he doesn't worry too much about it because he's sure Michael knows.
They're two old men now sitting out in the sand together and Lincoln thinks that this is just how it should be as he starts to feel heavy and tired. Just the two of them here, quiet and calm and ready as he closes his eyes for the last time.
Lincoln opens his eyes again and the sun and sand and Michael are gone. He's back in the chair and almost no time has passed at all. He's lived a lifetime in a minute, and now there's only a few seconds left and no one coming to save him.
He closes his eyes again and tries to return to that beach as he hears the lever being pulled.
-end-