AN: Just a little idea I came up with, and then it wouldn't leave me alone… Anyone reading beyond difficult the next chapter should be up within a few days – but I had to keep my muse happy by writing this.
Five times Sara might almost met Michael Scofield.
The first time they almost met was when Sara was in kindergarten; way back in 1981. Sara's mom had just dropped her off, early morning; just before eight thirty as per usual. With the school being a private school, it was quite a shock to see to regular dressed boys – apparently not up to the standards of some of the parents - guided through the gates by Mrs Thomas, the headmistress of the school.
"Go on honey." Sara's mom said, gesturing for her to go inside, and not continue standing in the middle of the play yard trying to figure out what all the fuss was about.
Sara looked up at her mom, her big brown eyes questioning her mother. "What's going on?" Sara asked in a quiet, but eager voice.
"It's just some new boy's sweetheart, probably their first day of school here." Her mother explained.
Sara nodded, still staring into the crowd. The crowd wasn't so much due to the fact that there were new boys starting at Illinois' most private elementary school, more the fact that they were certainly not the type of children you would expect to see in such a place. Most of the children were cleanly dressed; hair up; neat and tidy; brand new, washed and pressed clothes. Illinois' wealthiest looking children. But these two new boys certainly weren't.
The first boy, the eldest, was a lot taller than the other. He was quite butch and looked around the age of twelve, and he looked quite aggressive. His little brother looked quite the opposite; he looked maybe nine or ten. His small little face looked nervous and scared of this new situation, but sombre at the same time. They were both dressed in clean clothes; matching blue sweatshirts and black trousers. But still not up to the standards of most of the parents standing in the yard that day; their children were only to be associated with children of their 'class'. And apparently the Burrows-Scofield boys weren't that type.
"Will they be in my class?" Sara asked her mom sweetly, tip toeing so she could stand taller and maybe get a glimpse of the new boys.
"No love, they wont, they look a lot older than you." Her mother smiled, she kneeled down to face her daughter, "Now, shall we get you all set up in class?" She asked her daughter.
Sara frowned slightly, still on her toes trying to see the two boys. Her mother placed a hand softly on her daughters back, encouraging her to walk into the class. Sara reluctantly obliged, but not before turning her head one last time to see if she could get a quick glimpse. She couldn't.
Unbeknownst to little Sara, the two new boys would only spend one week at the same school she attended, before being moved off to another school, in another part of the city, with yet another foster family.
The second time Sara almost met Michael was when she was ten years old. She was playing in the nearest public park; it was only a few blocks from her home. It was the only place she felt like a normal ten year old. But if she looked towards the benches and caught a glimpse of the two men in black suits she would soon remember she's not just a 'normal' ten year old.
"Sara! Sara! Come over here! There's two boys fighting!" Lilly shouted towards Sara.
Sara looked straight up at the sound of her name, she was sitting on a swing just casually swaying back and forth and talking with another one of her friends, Amy. Sara smiled at Amy, and walked towards her friend. "What? Who is it?" Sara asked.
"I think one of them is Callum. But I don't know who the other one is. He has a brother though… He's younger, I think. He was shouting for a while for his brother to stop, but he didn't take any notice so he went and sat over there." Lilly explained, pointing towards a tree where a boy was seated.
Sara debated going over, she should do something; he was all on his own, and he looked new around here. Sara, the intelligent ten years old she was concluded that he was lonely and vulnerable here on his own. So, having made her decision she headed towards him. But was stopped on her journey over, by Lilly's hand on her back. "They've stopped fighting. Callum ran away, but the other boy is bleeding." Lilly told her, wincing when she told Sara about the blood. "Maybe you should do something?" Lilly's face brightened, knowing her friend's ambition to be a doctor; they had many sleepovers that consisted of playing 'Doctors and nurses'. Whereby Sara always got to play the doctor.
Sara looked from brother to brother, and decided she would see to them both, just obviously one at a time. Seeing how the eldest brother was bleeding, she decided to start there first.
She headed over to the boy with a bloody nose. He was holding his nose, and very wary of others around him, Sara figured Callum probably looked a lot worse off than this boy did; she saw the fight it looked pretty nasty, and considering this boy only had a bloody nose, he came out of it well.
"Would you like any help?" Sara asked timidly as she approached the much older boy.
The boy laughed, "What are you? Like eight?" He asked in a deep voice.
"I'm ten." She told him frowning, ten was big.
She watched the boys nose dripping everywhere, he was sighing and getting impatient; the flow didn't seem to be slowing, or stopping.
"You need to tilt your head back…" Sara suggested, she would make a good doctor. But she thought it was quite an obvious fact, so she didn't reward herself on her knowledge.
He eyed her carefully, studying what seemed a very mature ten year old. He laughed to himself, she was more mature than he, and he was nearly seventeen.
"Is it stopping?" She asked her hand on her hip.
He took his hand off of his nose and realised the blood flow had indeed stopped. "Yeah." He nodded. He began walking off, towards the tree his brother was still sitting at.
"Where are you going?" Sara called after him.
He turned around, "Home." He told her.
She didn't get a chance to say goodbye, she didn't get a chance to see if the other boy was alright, and she didn't even get to ask their names; they left in an awful rush. And before she could decide to do anything about it, Lilly was dragging her off to play a game of jump rope before she had to go in for her dinner.
She was sixteen and shopping with friends in a mall the third time. She spotted a gorgeous dress in the window of 'Sierras' – one of the most fashionable places to shop. "Oh that's stunning!" Giselle squealed. "You'd look gorgeous in that Sara." She gushed.
Sara blushed, and looked at her reflection in the window, trying to imagine the dress on her, "You think?" She asked.
"Yeah, and I think Callum would definitely agree. 'You'll look hot!'" She grinned, mimicking Callum.
"Thanks." Sara grinned, taking her friends hand she led her into the shop. "Come on, I'll buy you a dress too."
Giselle looked at Sara stunned, "What? Are you sure?" She asked.
Giselle's family wasn't as well off as Sara's, not even half. "Yeah, dad won't mind. Anything to keep me happy and out of his way." She said with a smile.
"Alright!" Giselle screeched giddily, clapping her hands and rushing into the store.
As they ran into the store and began riffling through dresses Sara suddenly stopped, feeling as if someone was watching her. She glanced around inside the shop and saw nobody looking her way. Frowning she looked at Giselle busy searching through dresses, and placing ones that caught her eye in the small black basket. Glancing up towards the store window she looked outside into the mall; there was a guy standing not far from the store, he was looking in the store, but as she looked out he quickly looked away. Smiling to herself, she turned to Giselle.
"Gis, this guy out there keeps looking at me…" Sara grinned, she was pretending to look through clothes, and nodded out towards where he stood. "Is he good looking?" Sara asked.
Gis looked at her, "Didn't you see?" She asked.
Sara shook her head, "I didn't want to stare…" She blushed.
"Wow, Sara. He is fine!" Giselle whispered. "Oh he just looked in again!" She giggled bobbing down towards the floor.
Sara burst out laughing, "Get up!" She giggled even more, grabbing her friends shoulder and pulling her up. She looked straight at her friend, "Do you think I should go out there?" She asked straightening out her hair.
"He is hot. And it's obvious he's into you, he keeps checking you out!" Giselle said.
Sara sighed overdramatically, "Does that mean yes?"
Giselle giggled, "Yes that means yes." She turned Sara around and slapped her ass pushing her towards the door.
Sara was walking out, towards the guy who was now looking away. She quickly stopped and turned back to Giselle. "Wait. What should I say?"
Giselle rolled her eyes, "Just go!"
Sara grinned nervously and headed out the door, but as she looked up she realised her mysterious handsome stranger was gone.
At the age of twenty one she was at North Western studying medicine. She had been studying all day and it still didn't seem to be sinking in. Osmosis, diffusion, active transport; it was all the same thing! Sighing she slammed her book closed. It was a Saturday evening, and most people her age we out partying, but no, here she was in the city library, because the campus one closed two hours ago.
She glanced around the library; and spotted two other people there. They were both guys, one looked incredibly dorky; with big glasses, goofy teeth, and loads of freckles. And the other guy, Sara couldn't tell, he had his head buried in a book, and was scribbling notes on a gigantic piece of paper. She went and placed her book back in the medical section; she'd decided to give herself a break and go to a party for a change. On her way to the medical section she glanced at the guy busy making notes and reading the book. He was in the structural engineering section as far as she could tell.
She placed her book back, and headed to her table. She packed her things away, and left the library. Not once looking behind her, because she knew if she did, she would regret not spending a few more hours studying.
Little did Sara know that it would have been for her own good if she stayed a few extra hours that night. If she had, she would have avoided the party, and the drink, and the peer pressure to try a 'shot' – her first hit on morphine; to avoid the pressure, to help cope with the stress.
Sara had graduated North Western at the age of twenty five. She was a very young graduate, and her father was so proud. But she wasn't sure whether that was because of her, or because of the fact that it honoured the family name.
Sara was having a bad night, her date had stood her up, and she wasn't feeling too good because she was still having withdrawals since she stopped taking morphine – which was almost three months ago, but she still had her bad days. "I'll have same again, please." Sara told the woman behind the bar. "Double" She added.
Sara glanced around the bar, and noticed the usual groups of people you expect to see at a bar. The couples; out for a drink together, the old men; drowning their sorrows, the single men and women; looking for company, and some that seemed to like being alone; much like her right now.
"Sara!" A woman yelled loudly from across the bar. She ran over and screeched, "Oh my gosh! It's been so long!"
Sara turned to be greeted by an old but familiar face, "Lilly!" She grinned. "It's been so long! How are you? Where have you been?" Sara asked. "We have so much to catch up on."
Lilly laughed, "Yeah, so come on lets get out of here. I'll buy you dinner."
Sara grinned, and grabbed her purse. Her friend linked her arm and led her out of the bar. And they would have the best night Sara had had in a long time. They would catch up, and laugh, joke, share old secrets and memories. And Sara would remember what it was like to be truly happy.
But what Sara didn't know was, back in the bar, sat at the very back, was a certain Michael Scofield whom she would also have found great happiness with. Whom she could have shared secrets, jokes, and past memories with, had they met under different circumstances. Had she met him that night.
"You ever wonder in another life..."
"I won't be that woman, Michael."
"I'm Michael by the way."
"Scofield. I read your report."
"And you are?"
"Dr.Tancredi will do."
------
"You went to Loyola?"
"You've been checking up on me."
"I like to get to know my patients. I went to North Western. Graduated a year after you did."
"Maybe we met before. You know, drunk out at a bar somewhere."
"I would have remembered."
AN: I hope you liked it. I'd appreciate reviews. :)