Pre- season one.
Pairing: Lincoln/Melony.
Forget what you think you know as this is a "what if" scenerio.
Rated mature.

What life would have been like if Michael had only answered his call...

Lincoln Burrows stood on the patio of his suburban home and took in the surroundings. The perfectly manicured lawn, his own special project, that he worked on every Sunday. The gas grill that was given to him on Father's day earlier that year by LJ and his fiance, Melony. Then he turned his attention to the two story Colonial style house that he never imagined would be his. He was finally living his dream but soon it would all be gone, unless he did one last job.

One last hit.

He clutched the cell phone in his hand and debated the options. It was obvious to him that he really had no other choice. In order to pay his debt he had to take the job.

Didn't he?

"Everything ok babe?" Mel asked as Linc walked into the kitchen where she handed him a cold beer.

"Yeah, I was just looking at the yard. I think we need to add a few more plants around the water garden. And I think we should add a gazebo, don't you?"

"A few more? A gazebo? You just want a reason to go to Home Depot don't you?" She teased.

"I just want it to be perfect." A glint in his eye made her question his motives.

"What are you up to Linc?"

He took a swig from the glass bottle and set it on the counter and walked over to where she was standing in front of the sink. Lincoln wrapped his arms around her waist and gently kissed the top of her head. "Nothing. I just think I'd rather go today and get it over with so that we can enjoy the weekend with no interruptions. You know I have to get everything done before July." He slid his hands up her shirt and cupped her breast while his lips trailed kisses down the side of her exposed neck.

She took in a sharp breath and lost herself in the moment. Her body caved against him and her knees went weak. "Linc." She whispered. "Did you forget LJ is coming over after school?"

Lincoln let out a groan and slowly removed his hands from her shirt. "I didn't forget but I did lose track of time."

"You're not leaving now are you?"

He finished off the beer before placing a deep kiss on her lips and a kiss on her growing stomach. "I'll be back in a couple of hours. And when I get back we can fire up the grill or go out to dinner. Your choice."

"Fine. But please hurry back."

A pang of guilt hit him like a ton of bricks as he looked into her blue eyes. He hated that he had to lie to her. "I love you Mel."

"Love you too."

Lincoln regrettably turned and walked out the door and once in the car he let his head rest against the seat. He hated that he had to do what he was about to do. But there was no other way.

Was there?

Lincoln checked the address on the piece of paper and parked across the street from the garage where he would take out Macroy. He reached over to the glove box and pulled out a small bag of weed and some papers.

He had about twenty minutes to kill and a conscious to get rid of for the moment anyway.

The reflection in the review mirror stared back at him with a look of disappointment.

Lincoln lit the joint and took a hit all the while staring at the man in the mirror. He had been working so hard to leave that person behind. It wasn't who he was. Not anymore at least. He wanted to be a father to LJ and a husband to his soon to be wife and child. This was a chance for them to all be together as a family and he would die rather than lose it all.

With ten minutes left on the clock Linc took the last hit on his joint and dialed his brothers number. There was no coming down from the high he was on.

"Yo Scofield, it's your big brother, Linc. Pick up if you're there."

There was no answer as Lincoln put out the joint and cocked his gun. He said a quick prayer and his cell phone rang. Quickly he ducked behind a column and answered the call. "What?"

"What is what I should be asking you Linc. What's going on?"

Lincoln let his head rest against the cold concrete. "You're going to be an uncle again Michael. Melony's pregnant. And I need you to look after them Michael. Please."

"Where are you Linc? What's going on? Talk to me!"

Lincoln took in a deep breath an exhaled. "I don't want this life anymore Michael. I just want to be the man I'm meant to be."

"And you can be Lincoln. Just tell me where you are and I'll come get you."

"It's not that simple. I have to do one last job or I'll lose everything."

On the other end Michael closed his eyes and said a prayer, hoping that he was about to do the right thing. "Just tell me how much you need and I'll be there. Come on Linc, don't do this."

"I'm sorry Michael. I never meant to let you down. I haven't been a good brother to you and I'm sorry."

Gun shots rang out and Lincoln dropped his phone as he ducked for cover. Somewhere he could here Michael calling out his name. He crawled under a nearby SUV and watched as three men in black walked up to a car. The same car that Linc had been sent there for. Quickly he scrambled for his phone and set it to camera mode and started taking pictures. One of the men shot the driver of the car at point blank range and another ran around and opened the passenger door. Lincoln captured all this on his phone and sent a text to his brother.