"Eight convicts escaped from the Fox Rover Penitentiary…"

Those were the only words I needed to hear when I realized what that meant—Lincoln Burrows was out of there. I was more than sure it was Michael, his younger brother, that has helped him and six other convicts escape from the building in which they were confined.

I was still a bit groggy from the unexpected nap I had just taken. Sitting up on the couch I flipped the television off. Not wanting to hear anymore of the escape of the innocent man I had helped to put in jail. I still sometimes dream about him; my subconscious never letting go that I did what I did…despite the fact that I loved him more than anything in the world. But it wasn't personal; it was all business…right?

Had I not done what I did, my mother would have never gotten the cancer treatment that kept her living as long as she was. She would have been dead a long time ago if I didn't agree to help the Company put Lincoln Burrows in jail. Only I never planned on falling for the man I was betraying. If I could go back and change everything I would have told Lincoln everything, praying to God that he found it in his heart to forgive me some kind of way. But I knew that now that chance was struck to hell, even if I did ever see Linc again, I knew he would want nothing to do with me. In fact I was sure that had we ever crossed paths again he wouldn't think twice about ending my life right there.

The familiar ringing of my cell phone had caught me off guard. I wasn't used to taking calls this late in a while. Looking at the blocked number I already knew who was on the other line without even having to ask. I flipped open the phone and pressed the little green button to answer the call.

"Stokes," I said as soon as I heard the breath on the other line.

"Emily, good to hear from you," his emotionless voice said to me on the other line. "I've got an assignment for you. Starts tonight."

"General you know I was off the Burrows case the day he was arrested." My voice was unhappy and unwilling at the fact that he wanted me to work on this again. "You said I was no longer needed, I haven't had to worry about that for a few months now. I'm quite satisfied with the life I have for myself now. I'd rather not deal with the Company anymore thank you."

"Well that's just not acceptable now is it?" I could tell he had an ace up his sleeve, if he wanted me on this job I knew he would find a way to put me on it. "How's your mother? I'm glad to hear that she's all better now. She's living down up in Canada now isn't she?"

My heart stopped. I had moved my mother away from the States pacifically for that reason. After she was well again I wanted her out of the grasp of the Company; and now they knew where she lived. And so the ace was revealed and that was how he was going to get me back working for him.

That bastard.

"When do I start?" I asked with a hint of anger laced in my voice. I knew that at the mention of my mother I had no choice but to comply with his orders.

"That's more like it," he started off. I could practically hear the gloat in his voice. He knew I had no one but my mother and a few cousins in my life. My dad had left my life long before I was old enough to care, and I my mother was the closest person in the world to me. If something were to happen to her on account of me not taking a job—I wouldn't be able to live with myself. "You should find an envelope with everything you need to do this job—I want you to track down Burrows and Scofield—and I want you to kill 'em." The click of the dial tone signaled that he had hung up the phone.

I slowly closed the phone, grimacing inward at what he wanted me to do. How could I do something like that? Kill Lincoln Burrows? The man that I still thought about every day of every hour of every minute? The man that I was still deeply in love with? The man that hated me with a passion for being the reason he had to escape prison in the first place. I couldn't kill him, yet I couldn't let them kill my mother.

Reluctantly I removed myself from my seated position on the couch and walked to my front door, slipping on my sneakers as I made my way down to the mail boxes at the front of the apartment building I inhabited. And sure enough when I opened my mail box there it was—that disgusting golden rod color of an envelope smiling back at me. I took it in my hands, closing and locking my mailbox as I made my way back to my apartment.

When I opened it there were files about their last whereabouts and updated photos of how they both looked. I gasped sharply as I looked at Lincoln's photo. He was still as beautiful and as handsome as ever and I was assigned to kill him.

XxXxXxX

Two years before the false assassination.

Location: Somewhere on the crime ridden streets of Chicago.

XxXxXxX

"Stop! Please! Stop!" I screamed at the man who had me pinned to the dirty ground of the alleyway. "Please, you have my purse, you have everything. Go! Get off of me!"

The man could've stopped whenever I asked him too, only we were both given orders to make this as realistic as possible. Said theft and rapist was Jeff, a Company agent and my partner. We were assigned to the Burrows case and I was predator turned prey as he falsely attacked me as we waited for Burrows to show up. The Company knew he took this route home, and any man would be obligated to save a damsel in distress. So we simply had to wait for him to come to my rescue, while making this as real as possible—which meant he actually had to hit me and hurt me.

As if on cue, I felt his large fist contact against my mouth, I already knew that my lip must've been bleeding by now, for I felt the warm trickle of blood run down my chin. He continued to wail on me, blows hitting me from every angle. I was more than sure that I would be bloodied and bruise by the time Lincoln intervened. And when this was all over I was gonna kick Jeff's ass for this.

"You fucking cunt! I want more than that," he hissed in my ear, sprays of spit and his hot breath covering my ear.

I felt his hands grope my breasts tight and painfully. Even though I wore a trench coat and a sweater underneath, that seemed to do nothing to keep me from feeling his hands on me. He got a hold of my dark copper colored hair, twisting it in his fist as he yanked me up off the ground, my legs fumbling to keep up with his actions. The hard brick of the building hit my face as he slammed me into it. My pale colored cheeks scrapped against the rough surface. He pressed into me painfully, my body stuck between him and this damned building.

"Oh fuck," he said groping my ass in between in fingers tightly. "I cannot wait to see what you're hiding underneath that little skirt of yours." I wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or just going along with the act, I was leaning more towards the former rather than the latter.

The fabric of my panties was breached as he attempted to rip them down and off of me."Please! Someone help! Help me, please!" I had begun screaming again, I really wish Lincoln would make his presence know right about now. Jeff's antics were becoming all too real for my taste.

"Bitch! Shut the fuck up!" he yanked me by my hair again and threw me roughly to the ground. My head smacking against the black concrete, as I landed face first.

I screamed out in real, genuine pain. I could already feel the blood trickling down from my forehead. My knees groaned out in pain as I tried to crawl and get away. He came and kicked me in my stomach, sending me on my back as he kneeled down and once again began wailing on me. Soon I felt his wait on top of me and realized that he had hitched my legs around his waist.

Where the fuck was this Burrows guy?

His fingers fumbled with my lower attire, he leaned down into my face, his lips forced on mine and tongue as well. Oh God I was definitely going to kick Jeff's ass after this blew over. I screamed against his mouth, trying my hardest to push him off of me, but sure enough his weight over powered mine.

In a flash Jeff's weight was completely off of me and I was able to sit up. Lincoln Burrows had showed up and at the moment he was beating Jeff to a pulp. I smiled inwardly, but got it off of my face as soon as it came; I had to stay in character.

I hugged my knees to my chest, slowly rocking back and forth as I burrowed my head into my arms, pretending I was completely traumatized. I wasn't sure how long I stayed in that position, but soon I felt a strong hold grasp around my arms, trying to lift me up.

"No! Nononono!" I cried out, thrashing at whoever was trying to hold me. "Please no!"

"Heyheyhey." That was definitely not Jeffery's voice. "Calm down, you're alright." Lincoln said as I looked up to see him kneeling beside me, looking over his shoulder to see Jeff unconscious and in a heap on the floor.

My hands immediately wound their way around Lincoln's neck, holding him tightly as if my life depended on it. I had started sobbing when I felt his hands wrap around me, rubbing my back soothingly.

"Shh, you're okay," his gruff voice said. I could tell he wasn't exactly the nurturing type. "C'mon let's get you on your feet."

I allowed him to help me stand, leaning on him for support as we made our way out of the dark alleyway. I saw he had grabbed my purse from Jeff; how thoughtful.

I wasn't sure how long we walked, as I was caught up in my false state of trauma. But it couldn't have been more than a few minutes, as I soon found myself standing before a brown door with the numbers 182 carved into it. I don't know how I managed to miss entering into the apartment building, walking up the stairs and ending up here. I guess I was playing double agent very well.

Entering his home, I could tell that this was a typical bachelor pad; bland furniture, mix matched colors, and a few beer cans and pizza boxes on the counter.

"C'mon," he said, placing his hand on the small of my back as he brought me to sit on his couch. He left to head in the direction of what I assumed to be the bathroom because when he came out it was with what appeared to be a first aid kit.

No words were really exchanged, save for a few 'thank you's' and 'don't mention it's'. I was more than sure I had continued to tell him thank you over fifty times in the time he was cleaning my wounds and dressing them. The only one that needed to be dressed was the medium sized gash on my forehead, I was more than sure that my face was not as attractive as I would have liked it to be at the moment. What with all the scrapes and bruises I had on my body at the moment.

I winced as Lincoln rubbed some ointment on said gash.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he looked at me quickly and continued what he was doing. His large fingers working delicately on my skin. "Name's Lincoln by the way." He said looking into my eyes, his own blue hues different from my brown/green ones.

"I'm Emily," I said smiling a genuine smile. I hadn't realized before, but Lincoln was even more handsome up close. His jaw was strong and masculine. His lips pink and made for kissing. His beard and mustache was shaved, but I could see the beginnings of it growing back; giving him that manly scruff that I found as a turn on. "Thank you again for what you did back there."

"Okay you don't have to keep saying that," he laughed softly, smiling down at me as he finished working on me. I laughed as well, watching him get up and head to the kitchen. Coming back quickly with a mug in his hands. "I would offer you tea, but I don't drink it and at the moment all I have is water."

"Thanks, this is fine," I said, taking the cup from him as I drank it. Wincing as the cold ceramic glass touched the cut on my lip. I drank most of it, not realizing how hoarse and dry that screaming had left my throat.

"Um, Emily if you," he looked at me, rubbing the back of his neck as if he was nervous about what he was about to say. "If you want, you could-you could just sleep here for the night if that made you feel safer. If not I wouldn't mind taking you home."

The Company's plans were working perfectly.

"I actually would like to stay here," I said standing up off of the couch. "My roommate, Erica, is out of town and—and I don't wanna be alone at the moment." I said walking closer to his standing position at the counter.

"I understand," he said literally looking down at me as he towered over my 5'5 frame. "I'll take you home tomorrow when you're ready."

"Thanks," I said, hugging him. I could tell he was surprised, but he eventually hugged back, in an awkward sort of way. I released him and looked into his eyes happily. "Is there someplace I could shower, and get out of these clothes?" I asked motioning to my fifth ridden clothes.

"Yeah, yeah," he said motioning for me to follow him in the down a hallway to the bathroom. "When you're done you can just sleep in my bed, I'll take the couch. I'll leave you out a set of clothes—I don't exactly keep women's clothes in my apartment so I'll see what I can find." He turned on the water and left me be. I thanked him before he exited the bathroom and then I took my shower.

Drying my copper hair on a towel I made my way to his bedroom to see the clothes on the bed, and the covers turned down. I immediately dressed myself in his oversized shirt and pair of sweats, adjusting the drawstring to where they would fit snug on me. I crept back into the living room to see Lincoln fast asleep, I guessed he was tired. I turned and made my way back to his room, snuggling myself into his warm sheets. The day's events weighed on me heavily as I felt myself drift off to sleep, letting the dark slumber take me in its arms.

The smell of eggs and coffee is what awoke me. And it smelled delicious, my stomach grumbling as I had realized I hadn't even eaten before yesterday's incident. I wiped my eyes and sat up, nearly forgetting I wasn't in my home when I looked around, observing my surroundings. I stood up slowly, heading towards the kitchen where the smell grew stronger. I saw that the television was on, playing football recaps. Lincoln's back was towards me as I made my way towards him as he stood at the stove.

"Good morning," I mumbled, tapping him on his shoulder to get his attention.

He turned around and looked me once over, seeing his clothes hang on my small frame. "Morning Emily." He said, oh God the way my name sounded on his lips—focus on the job Emily.

"Uhm, thanks ag—

"What did I say about that?" he said as he turned off the stove and placed the eggs onto two plates that were home to toast as well. He set them both down and turned to face me. "No more 'thank you's' alright." His deep chuckle made me smile.

I grinned up at him and stepped closer to him, wrapping my arms around his neck as I hugged him again, "I'm going to thank you as many times as I want. Had you not showed up when you did…who knows what could have happened."

He hands rested around my waist, pulling me closer to him as he engulfed my in his warmness. "Don't think about that, it's all over now and you're safe."

I sighed in relief; relief that the false robbery was over and that he did not suspect a thing. I leaned my head up to see him looking down at me. I guess this was time to be bold. I lifted myself onto the tips of my toes and placed a chaste kiss on his soft lips. He kissed back softly as well.

"Really, thank you Lincoln."

Okay, sooo how did you all like that? How was the first part of this? I really hope you all liked it! Dedicated to the lovely Millie55, hope you liked it dearie.

Two more parts to come!

Questions, comments, concerns? Leave em in a review please and thank you