Sara Tancredi never saw herself as a sentimental person. It was how she was able to survive Fox River. She was hard. How couldn't she be after living so long with her father, hugs were few and far between, mostly done for a political stunt.

So when's she faced with the choice of a boy who she never meant before life, the only connection between them is he's the nephew of the man who got her into all this, and her own life she's surprise when she realizes how easily she'd die for him.

How willingly she'll throw herself in any line of fire for him.

They barely talk beyond the first few minutes. But they seem to connect in volumes.

Sara has to blink back tears a few times. She wants to protect this boy.

She wants to die for this boy. She wants to do anything that means he gets to walk out of here and into his fathers arms.

So when they give her a phone to talk to Michael her only thought is to pass along the message. She doesn't even flinch when they place a gun to her head.

She knows the message is sent and received…at lest he'll survive this. And that's all that matters to her.

Hours later their hustled into a van.

Sara's still breathless, her eyes glued to the fading figure of his father.

She ignores the others, reaches across the van and intertwines her fingers with LJ. His tear streaked face looks up at her. He sucks in a breath and forces a smile, Sara knows she's passed a little hope onto him.

When she sees Susan coming toward her with a knife all she can think about is LJ.

Michael knows she loves him, that death isn't going to stop it. That she'll spend the rest of eternity savoring his last kiss.

It's LJ who she wants to comfort. Who needs her most in her final moments. It's LJ she needs to be strong for.

She stands up and faces the woman. "Not here."

Susan casts LJ a look, then studies Sara and nods.

Sara starts to walk past him, she pauses long enough to brush a kiss across the top of his head.

"Goodbye LJ. I'm happy I got a chance to met you." Her eyes fill with tears, not because she knows her impending death. But because when LJ wraps his arms around her neck and pulls her down, she feels loved. Loved like she's never felt before. She feels like she belongs. Belongs with them, in their family.

And when the knife slides into her body and she feels Michael's lips pressed against her's and LJ's warmth still on her, she knows she did. She knows she was family, and that makes it all worth it.