Michael, Sara and everyone else belongs to Fox.
Michael was still half asleep when he woke up several hours later by the sun streaming in through the window.
He reached across the bed for Sara and frowned when he encountered nothing.
He sat up quickly willing himself quietly not to panic. She was probably in the bathroom. When he didn't hear any sounds he padded quickly to the bathroom and opened the door, and just as he thought it was empty.
He quickly scanned the small room and noticed that her bag was missing. A tug on the handle to the door confirmed what he already knew, it was unlocked, and Sara was gone.
Several miles away Sara was walking along the road trying to convince herself that she was doing the right thing by leaving Michael behind.
She had walked for hours and her feet ached. Not a single car had passed by and she was seriously wondering where the hell she was. Or even were she was going.
She heard a rumble behind her and a glance back told her that an old chevy truck was coming. The car pulled to a stop beside her and the window rolled down to reveal an old man, probably in his late sixties. He had grey hair and a face that showed warmth and kindness.
"Hi there, you need a ride?"
Sara weighted her options trying to decide if she could trust him. He certainly looked kind, but looks could be deceiving, she if anyone knew that.
In the end she decided to trust him seeing as she couldn't really continue walking anyway. Her feet was killing her.
"Thank you I would really appreciate it" she smiled at him.
"Well don't just stand there, hop on in" The old man gestured to the door with a smile on his face.
Sara smiled back and got in the car and they sped away.
Michael was angry. His hard grip on the steering wheel had his fingers turning white from the pressure.
What was she thinking, running away like this? Didn't she know what kind of danger she was in? How many people that wanted her dead?
Fortunately, he had placed a tracker in Saras bag when he first had taken her from her apartment. Without her knowledge of course. The device tracking Sara was speeding, signalling she was moving faster now. Perhaps she had stolen a car? Or gotten a ride with somebody? The thought unsettled him, thinking of the many things that could happen to her alone on the road. Only, she probably wasn't alone anymore, and he didn't know what scared him more.
Sara didn't know when was the last time she laughed this much. Joe, as she had learned his name was had been telling her stories of how he and his wife Dora had met. She had been quite the adventures girl and had no thought of settling down when Joe had met her. It had taken quite a bit of persuasion from him to finally get her to say yes.
"…and then I told her she might as well marry me right there on the porch since I had no intention of moving until she had agreed to marry me".
Sara howled with laughter and Joe snickered beside her.
"Wh..what did she say?" Sara managed to choke out between gasps for air.
"She told me I could stand on her porch for the rest of the night, or the rest of my life if I wished and it wouldn't change a damn thing!"
Sara laughed again.
"But she did marry you in the end?"
"That she did." Joes smile lit up his whole face.
"You must have a lot of patience, to keep trying for so long when all she said was no".
"Oh I did, and it was not all smiles and roses. But I knew what I wanted, and beneath the tough surface I knew Dora was just scared, she didn't have the best upbringing you know, and her parents marriage left much to be desired".
"She was afraid to get close to people?" Saras voice was suddenly quiet.
"Yeah well, like I said, it wasn't a lot of love in her home".
"It must have been hard for you" Sara pondered.
"It was, Dora was afraid to trust, but like I said, I knew what I wanted, and she didn't know it yet, but I knew she wanted me to. I could see her glancing at me when she thought I wasn't looking" Joe said with a small smile on his face.
Sara thought of Michael and all the times she caught him looking at her in the infirmary, she had thought it was all an act, but maybe it wasn't? Its to late now anyway she reasoned with herself.
Joe caught the look on her face and said quietly; "The thing about love is that, even when its tough, you hang in there, you keep hoping and wishing. And love that comes easy is easily forgotten, while the kind of love that rips your heart open and make you feel like you cant breathe is something you never forget. And that is worth fighting for."
They rode in silence while Joes words spun around in Saras head.
Hey guys So what did you think of Joe? And we haven't seen the last of Rick…
