Title: Behind the Mask

Rating: PG

Genre: Romance/General

Pairings: Michael/Sara

Status: Complete. This story is a One-shot.

Archive: Ask permission first if you want to put this story somewhere else.

Disclaimer: I do not own Prison Break or any of its characters. I am making no profit from this, so don't sue.

Summary: Sara finds a way to blend in, but there's still one person who can read her.

Looking over her shoulder, Sara watched. She was waiting for a nondescript vehicle to pull up, the windows to roll down or the doors to open and for an array of bullets to come flying toward her. It had happened before and she was sure it would probably happen again. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Sara took a deep breath and allowed herself to relax for a moment. She'd been on the run for over a week. She'd tried to return to her apartment but hadn't been able to get within half a block of the building.

She had tried to contact Michael. She'd even gone so far to contact Michael's wife, Nika. Nika hadn't been any help, saying she didn't know where he was. Sara had believed her, hoping that she wasn't lying. She'd learned the hard way that Nika was a very talented liar. She'd heard people talking, saying that they'd been sighted in Utah, so she'd headed that way.

The woman those men had shot, thinking it was her, had had a lot of cash which surprised Sara, as well as credit cards. It wasn't hard to get out of Illinois. Sara had shown up in the area they were supposed to be in and had found that they were gone. Disappeared. Someone had thought they'd seen Theodore Bagwell, whom she knew better as "T-Bag" driving a pickup truck. No one had seen any of the others though. Michael, Lincoln, Sucre, none of them were there.

She hadn't really expected them to be there though. Not really. Part of her had hoped they would be there. That she'd get to see Michael again. Michael. He'd lied to her, used her for his own purposes, and now that she was completely alone- he was all she wanted. Without her father, she was alone. Her first thought when she'd realized what was happening was that she had to get to Michael. Michael, who'd insisted that his brother had been innocent and had risked everything for his brother. Michael, who she was sure she'd fallen for.

Standing in the blistering sun, Sara couldn't believe the temperature for being late October. She moved under the awning at the bus depot and looked around. Sara couldn't even remember what day it was. It had to be near Halloween, she guessed the day before, she wasn't sure. Clutching her recently purchased ticket in her hand, she looked around, more paranoid than ever before. She had the feeling that someone was watching her, but when she casually looked around she couldn't see anyone even looking in her direction.

When the bus was finally boarding, Sara distractedly boarded the bus, sitting in the very back of the elongated vehicle. When the bus finally stopped, Sara quickly got off the bus and headed into the bus depot where she used the restroom. When she exited the bathroom, she saw a man in a dark business suit leaning against the wall at the far end of the room. She offered him a small smile, wondering why he was watching her. She walked over to an information booth and picked up a few brochures, flipping through them interestingly while the older woman behind the counter pointed out the most interesting ones and starting asking her questions.

"I-I'm just here for a few days," she offered, smiling at the woman. She looked at another brochure and then noticed one of the security mirrors that business' had- the kind to see the entire room. There was most likely a camera behind the mirror. The man in the suit was still watching her, only now he was talking into what looked like a two-way radio.

Turning away, she quickly made her way toward the exit, the cooler air hitting her hard and she had to stop, take a slow breath and get used to it. Looking over her shoulder, she frowned when she saw the man slowly moving toward the door. Sara tucked her tote bag under her shoulder and took off running, crossing the street. She saw the man barking into his two-way and took off again. She ran for as long as she could, ducking into alley ways and behind buildings when she thought someone was getting too close.

She was out of breath when she finally stopped running. She was in an alley behind a bar, the music from inside was loud and carrying outside. Ducking inside the bar, she saw nearly everyone else in the bar had on Halloween costumes. She walked by countless witches, vampires, clowns, cats and a million other outfits that made her stand out because she wasn't in costume.

"Girl, you need a costume!" a voice said in her ear. She turned her head to see a young woman smiling at her. She was shorter than Sara and had dark skin that complimented her dark springy hair.

"I- I don't have one," Sara said rather shakily.

"I'll hook you up," the girl smiled. She held up a rather large bag that was slung over her shoulder. "It'll help you blend in from whoever you're runnin' from boo."

Sara frowned at the girl. "I'm not running from anyone."

"That's why you keep lookin' over your shoulder, sugar. Trust me, I'll get you to blend in," she held up the bag and motioned for her to follow her into the restroom. Sara stared at the girl for a few minutes before she followed her. Once in the bathroom, the girl, who she found out was named Gloria, opened her bag and started pulling out odds and ends.

Her hair was done first, styled so it looked nice. Then her makeup was done very dramatically so it would throw people off. Sara didn't like being fussed over, but she wasn't about to argue with the talkative black woman. Twenty minutes later she exited the bathroom. She still wore her jeans, but Gloria had given her a new top. Over her face was a simple masquerade style mask.

"Boo, you look gorgeous. Now whoever's chasin' you won't recognize you so quickly," she smiled.

"Why are you helping me?" Sara asked, confused yet appreciative.

"We all need a little help sometimes," Gloria shrugged her shoulders. "You take care," she sauntered out of the bathroom and Sara leaned back against the sink.

When she exited the bathroom a few minutes later, Sara looked around anxiously, looking for someone who could be with the government. Someone who could be looking for her because she knew about Lincoln Burrow's cover-up. Instead all she found were drunken people partying in Halloween costumes. Sara allowed herself to relax a little and looked around the room. She eyed the bar and decided against ordering a drink. Alcohol may have not been her Achilles Heel, but it was a temptation she thought she should avoid.

There were people dancing on the dance floor and people milling nearby trying to find a way to ask someone to dance. Finding an empty table, Sara sat in one of the two tall stools that sat at the table. She smiled a bit at getting to rest her feet and take a breather. A waitress dressed like some mythical fairy stopped at her table. Sara ordered a soda and smiled at the waitress and looked around, ready to move if she had to.

After fishing some cash out of her bag, Sara sipped her soda and allowed herself to relax just a bit more. She stiffened when she felt someone watching her. Casually looking around the room, she stopped when she saw a man sitting at the bar. He had on a mask that covered most of his head. The mask reminded her of the Phantom from Phantom of the Opera. It covered his forehead and cheeks and stopped just above his mouth. He smiled at her, raised his drink and nodded at her.

Still feeling uneasy, Sara nodded slightly and turned her attention back to the soda in front of her. A few minutes later, she nearly choked on her soda when a hand landed on her shoulder.

"Care to dance?"

Sara looked up to see a guy dressed as a fire fighter standing next to her. He smiled at her and waited for her answer.

"No thanks," Sara shook her head.

"You sure?" the guy asked hopefully. "Maybe later?"

"I'm not much of a dancer," Sara shook her head, smiling at the attractive man.

"Well if you change your mind, just yell," he winked at her and walked away, looking over his shoulder to grin at her.

Sara couldn't help but smile to herself and return her attention back to her soda.

"So you're not into firemen?" a voice beside her asked. Sara froze. She recognized that voice. It was familiar. Frowning, she looked at the man, only to find it was the one who'd been sitting by the bar earlier. The one who'd smiled at her and nodded.

"Not as a general rule," Sara shook her head. "But you never know."

"Wanna dance?" the man asked, extending a hand to her questioningly. Sara shook her head. "Don't tell me you don't dance," the mysterious man smiled.

"I've got two left feet, really," Sara declined.

"It's not about the feet, it's about the partner. Just one dance. If you hate it, I'll leave you alone." Sara looked up into familiar looking blue eyes.

"No thanks."

"Then how about I join you for a drink?" he asked. Sara just looked at him. "Unless you're waiting on someone . . . " the man trailed off, ducking his head to look in her eyes.

Sara chuckled. "The person I'm waiting for doesn't know where I am."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Sara." Sara looked up sharply at the man. She was sure she hadn't told him her name.

"How did you . . . ?" The man shrugged his shoulders and turned around and started to walk back toward the bar. That's when the front entrance to the bar opened and she saw the men who'd been chasing her.

"Actually, I'd love to dance," Sara remarked, raising her voice so that the masked man would hear her over the music. The man spun around, clearly surprised that she'd agreed and smiled at her. Sara frowned for a minute. That smile was so familiar. So friendly. She couldn't place it and it bothered her.

"Wonderful," the man smiled and gently tugged her toward the dance floor. The song was slow and melodious and they moved effortlessly among all the other couples. No words were said, but when the goverment officials tracking her down walked closer to the dance floor, he seemed to know what she needed and whirled them around so that his back was to them and he shielded her from their view.

"You running from those suits, Sara?" he asked softly, turning her again so no one would suspect anything. Sara hesitated and he knew he was right. "You need some help?"

"With what?" Sara asked, tilting her head back to look at the man. Her breath caught in her throat when she looked in his eyes. She quickly lowered her eyes and looked away from the man.

"I can get you outta here," the man continued, his voice low and near her ear.

Sara shook her head. "Oh yeah?"

"I've heard Mexico is nice this time of year." Sara froze. Hadn't Michael mentioned something about Mexico once? She was certain he or Lincoln had. Something about cheap beers and . . . she shook her head to clear that thought. It was just wishful thinking.

"A friend of mine told me that once," Sara said softly, still avoiding the man's masked face. Then one of the men in suits walked onto the dance floor and Sara buried her face in the man's chest, pretending to be just another couple who couldn't get enough of one another. "Said something about cheap beer and whatnot," she muttered against his chest. The man chuckled, his chest rumbling slightly at the action. She looked over his shoulder carefully and saw the men in suits leaving the building.

The song came to an end and she smiled at the man, backing away from him, intent on going back to the small table she'd been at earlier.

"Really? And what else did Lincoln tell you?" the man asked, his voice full of amusement. Sara backed away from the man rapidly, nearly tripping, but his hands reached out and steadied her.

"Michael?" she whispered, her eyes wide full of hope. Then he was releasing her arms and lifting the mask to reveal his face. He smiled at her mischievously- the smile she'd recognized earlier and it all fit. He'd told her everything would be okay; that it would all work out someway. Sara launched herself into his arms, holding him tightly.

Despite all the lies and the deception, Michael was still important to her. The only difference was now with her father gone, he was everything to her. He was everything because she'd had all other things taken away from her.

"You okay?" he cupped her face in his hands. He didn't take his eyes off her face, checking to make sure that she was really okay. Sara nodded, smiling at him. He grinned, then pulled her to him and lowered his mouth to hers in a gentle, loving kiss.

When they parted, Sara couldn't help but smile at him. "How did you know . . . ?" she trailed off.

"I recognized you," Michael shrugged his shoulders, pulling her back toward the small table.

"No, I meant how did you know I was here?" Sara shook her head, sitting back on her stool as Michael took the one across from her.

"Sucre saw you earlier. You were running out of the bus depot."

"Sucre?" Sara looked around, expecting him to pop out of the shadows at any second.

"We split up. When I saw you, I couldn't help but . . . " he trailed off as he reached across the table and brushed some loose strands behind her ear. "I'm sorry about your father." Sara nodded silently, looking away from Michael.

He ordered her another soda and they sat in silence for a few more minutes. "Sara, we have to leave soon."

"Leave?" Sara looked at him, her soda forgotten.

"Lincoln and Sucre are waiting," he nodded as if that explained everything.

"You're still with them? I thought you would've split up," she mused.

"It's a long story."

"I've-"

"We'll have plenty of time to talk once we're back on the road," Michael cut her off, standing and holding his hand out. "We should get going."

They were just outside the main entrance when Sara tugged on his hand and he turned around, lifting the mask to look at her questioningly.

"Why'd you wear the mask?" she tugged the mask off his head and looking at him with a small smile.

"So I wouldn't get recognized. I am a wanted man, remember?" he leaned closer. "You didn't recognize me until I mentioned Lincoln," he pointed out with a smug smile.

"You say that now," Michael teased. "Well Doctor Tancredi, let's go find Sucre and Lincoln and then we can get outta town." They walked hand-in-hand down the sidewalk, keeping an eye out for anyone that could be trouble. "Your mask did nothing to disguise you, by the way," he added.

"And yours did?" Sara smirked. "I recognized your eyes and your smile."

"But you didn't make a move, Doctor."

"No, I didn't," she shook her head, not sounding upset in the slightest.

"I'm hurt. I recognized you right away, but you, you had no clue until I mentioned my brother." He pulled his mask from her grasp and put it back on since people were walking toward them.

"You looked familiar," Sara defended herself as they kept on walking. Michael looked at her inquisitively and pulled Sara closer to him. Looking into his crystalline eyes, she smiled. "I recognized the kind eyes." She pushed the mask up, then she stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips to his in a kiss that grew slowly more passionate.

"Mike, let's go!" they broke apart to see Lincoln behind the wheel of an older sedan, grinning. "Hey Doc," he smiled. Sucre leaned closer to Lincoln, ducking his head to look out the window.

"Fish, get in the car! Doctor Tancredi," he smiled. Michael stepped closer to the car, pulling open the back door.

"You ready?" Michael asked her, holding his hand out to her, waiting for her. Sara put her hand in his, nodding and stepping closer to him.

She pulled the mask back down, covering his face. "Just to be safe," she smiled before ducking into the backseat, sliding over to the other side of the car. She smiled at Lincoln who turned around to grin at the pair as Michael pulled the car door shut. Sucre grinned and then turned around, buckling his seat belt.

"We ready?" Lincoln asked, looking back and forth between Michael and Sara. Michael looked at Sara and raised his eyebrows expectantly. Reaching for his hand, Sara smiled at Michael before turning her attention to Lincoln.

"Ready," she nodded. Michael pulled her mask off slowly, letting it fall back onto the top of her head, then took in the full beauty that he'd missed since the escape. "You know, I knew it was you," she said softly.

"How?" Michael wondered.

"You sit the same way, walk the same way, talk the same way, it added up. I just never imagined that the man I . . . "

"The man you what?" Michael smiled, teasing her a bit.

Sara smiled at him, leaning closer to him, her lips mere centimeters away from his. She bit her lower lip for a second before she kissed him softly. "I never imagined the man I missed would be the one behind the mask."

--

Authors Note: My very first Prison Break fic. I knew I wanted it to be a Halloween story, but not too holiday-ish. And I knew I wanted it to be a Michael/Sara story. I had to throw Linc and Sucre in, too. I know that I wrote them very out of character, but tell me what you think of the story anyway!

Jen