All rights for Prison Break are Fox's. Nothing is mine.
When Sara opened her eyes that night she found herself - unlike she had expected - in the Northwestern hospital in Chicago. Looking through her window she could see, just barely, Michigan Lake. The streets were lightened and filled with people returning home - or at least to their dorms - after a night of fun. Looking at the clock in her room, she saw it was two o'clock. The hospital staff was probably asleep, except for the emergency room. She was on her own.
Sitting up in her bed, she started tracing yesterday's - or at least, she thought it was yesterday - events. Michael came to the infirmary and asked her to leave the door unlocked, because he needed to break Lincoln out. She refused, because it was the right thing to do. Because he played her. She really fell for him, and he knew it, and yet he still used her for his own purposes. Even though he claimed he didn't. He claimed whatever it was he felt for her was real.
It couldn't be real. She knew it couldn't.
Her memories felt somewhat mixed up afterwards. She knew she talked to her father and he made excuses about Lincoln. She knew he knew he was sending an innocent man to death. She remembered returning to Fox River and leaving the door unlocked. She vaguely remembered picking up a bottle of morphine and driving back to her apartment, but that was it. She was in a hospital, even though she had no memory of doing anything that might send her there.
"I'm glad you're okay." The low, familiar voice nearly made her jump.
"Michael?" She tried to stop her voice from shaking, but she couldn't. If it really was Michael, then he and Lincoln managed to escape Fox River. Their plan worked.
"Yeah." He turned the lights on and then stepped closer to her. He looked just like she remembered him - tall, strong and charismatic. A second look at his face told her he was happy - although she wasn't sure whether it was because she was okay or because his brother was free. "I... I was worried."
"Worried?" She mumbled, staring at him as he sat down on the edge of her bed.
He nodded. "They said you took a dangerous dose of morphine." Her eyes widened slightly and she looked down, suddenly remembering her moment of weakness. She couldn't believe she'd gone so far back. "I only found out after we left Illinois. You and your father were all over the national news."
"What?" She looked back up at him automatically.
He nodded once again. "He blamed Linc on dosing you." He hesitated briefly before adding, "He claimed Linc and I dosed you and forced you to leave the door unlocked. If we ever get caught, we'll be sent to the Chair immediately."
"I should have known," She mumbled, looking down again. She could almost feel him looking at her intently, refusing to let go. "Michael, you should know... he would stop at nothing to become Vice President. That's what she offered him... The Vice President."
"President," He corrected her quietly. Her eyes widened. "The President died. She became President two nights ago." She sighed quietly. "And I know. Linc's life in exchange for the position." He hesitated, remaining silent for a long moment. "Sara... Thank you. Linc would have been dead by now if it weren't for your help."
"Right." She attempted to look away, not wanting him to see how much it still hurt her that he used her the way he did.
"I know you don't believe me-"
"It doesn't matter." She cut him off immediately, not wanting to hear his explanations again. It was bad enough that he tricked her; she wanted nothing more than to just forget the whole thing. "What are you doing here, anyway? If anybody finds you here, you'll be killed."
"I told you, I was worried about you."
"Michael-"
"I was." He hesitated once again. "I was, Sara. I know you don't believe me - and you probably never will - but I wasn't pretending. I was pretending to be diabetic," He admitted, "But that's it."
"Of course it is, Michael." She pulled her blanket closer, silently telling him she wanted him to leave. "And I'm glad Lincoln wasn't executed. But that's it. I'm going back to Fox River. You need to leave."
"Right." He got up and turned away, towards the door. She only then noticed the door was locked. He must have locked it after walking in. He stopped in front of the door, his hand hovering above the doorknob. "Sara, whatever you think of me... I had to do it to save Lincoln. But it doesn't change anything. It doesn't change who I am."
"No," She said softly. "It suites you just right."
He looked down, his hand resting against the doorknob. She let go of the blanket and watched him as he unlocked the door and kept standing by it, hesitating.
"Michael?"
He hesitated for less than a heartbeat before turning back around and walking back to her. Before she knew what was happening, he was kissing her deeply, his hands gently cupping her cheeks. She stared at him, shocked and frozen. Understanding she wouldn't respond, he pulled back, his eyes closed and a pained expression on his face. "Sara... I know you feel the same way."
She tried to look away, but found out she couldn't. She couldn't stop looking at the pain written on his face. She'd only known him for a few weeks, but it felt like they'd known each other for a lifetime. She knew, the way he couldn't lie to her about breaking Lincoln out of Fox River and about his wife, he wasn't lying about his feelings. He lied to her when it came to technical details, like his diabetes, but when it came to something important, Michael Scofield never lied to her.
He was the man she thought he was. And that's exactly what he's been trying to tell her.
She gently caressed his cheek. He opened his eyes immediately, looking up at her. There was hope in his eyes.
"I need to know..." She said quietly. He looked at her intently, waiting. "When did you stop pretending?"
"After my first week," He replied immediately. Her eyes widened once again. "Do you believe me?"
She hesitated briefly before nodding. "I think so."
"Then wait for me." His fingers gently traced her cheeks. "Please, Sara."
"Okay." Happiness shone in his eyes all of a sudden, telling her how important she was to him. Seeing the approval in her eyes, he leaned towards her and kissed her once again. She returned his kiss, pulling him slightly closer to her.
He pulled back eventually, looking like his serious, cool self again. "Go back to sleep," He said quietly.
She nodded once again and lay back down. He walked back towards the door and turned the lights off, opening the door in the meanwhile. "Michael."
"Yeah?" She could feel him looking at her, even though she couldn't actually see him.
"Come back."
She could hear a smile in his voice when he replied. "I promise."
