Disclaimer: Well, I again, own nothing to do with prison break as if that is a real shocker. I do however own Nicole Burlow and Danielle Evans.

A/N: Well, the intensity is building up! Will the news of Nicki's baby affect Michael and hers relationship or will it give them the strength to move on? Will the baby be Michael's or could it be the now deceased Mason's? Will Dani have the strength to tell LJ about his new bundle of joy or will she find weakness in the matter? What is ahead for the foursome? Please read Chapter ten to find out!

Next Day… (Nicki and Michael's two month anniversary)

------------------------- Michael's Chicago Apartment ------------------- (9:01 a.m.) -----------

Michael glanced around his apartment aimlessly looking down at his watch while he paced amongst the kitchen awaiting the arrival of his daughter. Although he already met the young girl there was still many questions that needed answered and things that needed to be said. He looked down at his watch once more and sighed. Suddenly a knock at the door caught the tattooed man's attention as he briskly walked to the front door and slightly cracked it. He noticed Sara with a young child by her side that had a small bag in her hand full of toys.

"Michael?" Sara questioned as she noticed the front door cracked just so she could see Michael's questionable facial expression. She smiled, opened the door a bit and entered into the apartment with her daughter following shortly behind her.

"Sara?" Michael said staring at the little girl as if she was a centerpiece in an art museum that was located in the middle of his very own living room. He noticed the bold red color of her hair and smiled. "Jenny, how are you doing?"

"Sara, I don't know this man…no…you are the man from the bus stat-" The young girl paused as she thought back to the day she met the strange tattooed man. She looked up and down Michael's arms as she began to remember the distinct tattoos.

"…Station you mean…" Scofield smiled toward his own daughter and admired her cuteness. The young girl reminded him so much of himself when he was a child, always wanting to impress older adults with a bigger vocabulary.

"Aunt Sara, am I going to stay here with Mr. Scofield?" Jenny asked innocently looking up at Sara with beaming eyes of a higher intensity than before.

"Honey, this is your daddy…Michael…and yes, you will be staying with him for just a short while but remember that I'm just a phone call away if you need me." Sara looked down at her very daughter and smiled at the innocence in Jenny's face. "Michael, thank you…"

"Wait…" Michael grabbed Sara's arm and pulled her back away from the door gently. He looked deep into her eyes and cracked a gorgeous smile. "This isn't the last time I will see my daughter…I promise you that…"

"Michael, do us all a favor and don't make promises that you cannot keep. The last thing I need is to get Jenny's hopes up and mine for that matter. In case you have forgotten I care about you and I just don't want to see you get hurt. I'll be back to pick up Jenny at noon. By that time Todd and I should be home from our movie and able to drop his son and daughter off with their mother." The dark brunette looked down at Michael's locked hand over her arm and sighed. "I'm really sorry things didn't work out with us and I hope that everything will turn out for the better."

"I know." With that Michael opened the front door for Sara, watched her leave and turned back to face his daughter holding her toy bag with both arms in front of her body. "What would you like to do Jenny?"

"Are you my new daddy?" The red head questioned looking once again innocently as possible into Michael's blue eyes. She slowly carried her bag over to the corner of the living room and plopped her body beside it Indian style.

"I guess you could say that…" Michael sat down directly in front of Jenny sitting accordingly to her and smiled brightly.

"If you are my daddy, then you know who my mommy is right?" The little girl grabbed out her usual Bug's Bunny coloring book and spread it out in front of her. She then reached in the same bag and took her box of crayons out.

"…Can I color with you?" The tattooed man asked quickly trying to change the subject. He knew that Jenny wanted to know everything as with any other five year old in America but wasn't quite sure how to explain the situation.

"Sure Mr. Scofield…" She handed her father a bright red crayon and pointed to a barn in which she wanted Michael to color. Grabbing a green crayon she noticed Scofield staring at her oddly. "Why are you staring at me funny?"

"Nothing, I just think it would be more suitable if you would call me your father, dad or even daddy would work little girl. I know I wasn't there for the beginning of your life but I promise to be there for the rest." He began shading in the barn with his red crayon Jenny had given him. The barn was directly behind bug's bunny and had grass surrounding the entire picture in which Jenny was intensely concentrating on at that moment.

"Why weren't you there?" Jenny questioned lifting her head and tilting it so that she now had a better view of the man in front of her.

"I made a lot of mistakes, plenty of wrong turns and regret a lot of what I've said but I'm here now and that is all that matters Jenny. Daddy is here and I promise to never leave you again…" Choked up, Michael finished coloring the now red barn and sat the crayon next to the yellow box.

…I promise you Jenny…I won't make the same mistake as my father did and I'd be damned if I go back on my word little girl…I promise…

"I'm hungry…" The little girl held her stomach and looked around the living room. "Mr. Scofield…I'm hungry now…"

"What would you like Jenny?" Michael looked up at Jenny and smiled. He stood up away from the floor and picked his daughter up in his arms. "How does blueberry pancakes sound?"

"I love blueberries. My auntie says that they are good for you…but Aunt Sara says they aren't…" Jenny latched her arms around Michael's neck and watched as he carried her into the kitchen and sat her down on the island of his massive kitchen.

"Your Aunt Sara is a very smart woman. How about some chocolate chip pancakes?" Scofield opened his cabinet to find a giant green bag of chocolate chips and sat them out beside Jenny on the island.

"Aunt Sara says there is nothing better to cure a heart than chocolate…" The innocent smile upon the little girl's face filled the room as if the sun was beaming directly into the vast kitchen. "She told me this big long story about some guy who broked her heart…Jackass…"

"Jenny! You shouldn't say that word. Auntie Sara shouldn't have said it either. I'm sure this man never meant to break her heart…"

"Well, boys are icky anyway…" Jenny smiled and watched her father pour in a bag of chocolate chips into a pancake mixture next to the stove.

"I would have to agree with you young lady…" He turned to face his daughter and smiled as he poured pancake batter into the frying pan in front of him.

----------------------------------- Nicole's Apartment ------------------------- (11:03 a.m.) ------

Nicole opened her eyes from her horizontal position on the couch and smiled. She had one arm resting behind her head and another to the side of her body. A small piece of paper was gently placed beside the couch on top of the coffee table. Intrigued as to what the piece of paper might be, she quickly sat her body upward and picked up the piece of paper. On the cover was a red printed on rose with a vivid pink heart beside it having her and Michael's name on the inside of it.

"I know you don't believe in true love but I think I've found it. When I'm with you it is as if I'm with my best friend. You're someone I can relate to with all my heart. These past two months have been the best months of my life. You've taught the meaning of what it is like to care for someone like I care for you. I know I am in Chicago and perhaps I made a mistake by leaving but I just want you to know how important this trip was for me. I promise to be home tonight. I wouldn't miss our anniversary to save the world. See you tonight Ms. Burlow."

Nearly in tears, the young woman placed the paper back upon the coffee table and looked deeply into the white wall in front of her. Her hands began to shake as the thought of Michael entered her mind. The idea of someone wanting to be with her again nearly scared her out of her skin. Although the man who caused her so much pain was gone she still couldn't let go of the fact she had been abused by a man in the past. She wanted more than anything to believe that she was safe in another man's arms but couldn't no matter what she tried. The young woman looked down at her feet and watched a tear fall down upon her foot.

The dark brunette sighed yet again and watched the clock on the wall move forward into time. Time was another thing that faced Nicki with great obstacles. The essence of time was Nicole's biggest enemy. The idea of having only so much time to live haunted her like a ghost. She placed her head upon her hands which were resting on her knees and watched the big hand of the clock slowly move around the clock.

"…Mr. Scofield…" She whispered silently to herself.

In a way she believed in love at first sight. If she hadn't, how could she have fallen for a man she had only been nearly dating for two months? The thought swam in her head as if there was a little Olympic swimmer swimming quickly inside her head only to become more confused. She rubbed her head and sighed. It didn't help that the first love she ever had died on her account. Nicki didn't believe in love after that, it was too risky for her own liking. The complexity of loving someone, another human being was too much to take in one lifetime. After Mason's heartbreak there was nothing more to say. The dark brunette gently lifted her head and rubbed her inviting blue eyes. She peaked down at the piece of paper and smiled with a tear in her eye.

"Are you kidding me? I think the Miami Dolphins could beat the Cleveland Browns any day Dani." LJ opened the front door for the lovely blonde to enter and noticed Nicki crying on the couch. "Are you alright?" He questioned holding the hand of his girlfriend ever so tightly.

"Yes, I'm fine. My ankle is a bit sore but I'll get over it. How are you two doing? Any new news?" Nicki began to stare into the eyes of her only sister and sighed at the sight of Dani shaking her head.

"LJ, why were staring at that woman's ass at the theater? She wasn't even that pretty…" Dani nudged LJ and shook her head in disgrace. "You even told me yourself that you prefer a blonde over a brunette anyday…"

LJ looked toward his girlfriend and coughed profusely. "There is a brunette right there with a bat in the closet…" He continued to cough until he felt Nicki's eyes burning him through his very own skin.

"I'm sitting right you know…and yes I still have my bat with your name on it…" Nicki turned her body toward her 'special' closet and sighed. "But I'll let it go this time buddy!" She drawled deeply.

"Your mom!" LJ blurted out in the middle of nowhere. He looked toward his girlfriend and watched her smile slowly fade.

Dani watched Nicki's eyes turn red and began to giggle without a word. "…I…I…" She continued to giggle and watch LJ's eyes pop out of his head as if a man running with a sword and coming straight at him.

"LJ, why do you have to be such an idiot? I mean come on…I can take the burns…that's funny but 'your mom'…nobody's mother is even in the room so I suggest when you 'burn' someone you make sure that person is in the room…dumb ass…" The dark brunette folded the piece of paper from Michael and placed it deep inside her pocket.

"Dude, why did the chicken cross the road?" LJ looked back and forth at the two women and smiled at their confused facial expression. "You can't tell me that you've never heard this joke dudes."

"No LJ, why don't you tell my sister and I how the stupid chicken crossed the freakin' road." Dani said sarcastically as she let go of his hand and sat beside her sister upon the couch.

"…To get to the other side?" Nicki questioned trying to humor the young man in front of her. Now that he was the father of her nephew or niece she decided to actually take him seriously.

"Damn, you guessed it right…how would you know? I bet you've never heard a joke in your life…being boring and all…" LJ said.

"Are ya kiddin' me? I'm from Smithville Texas home of the rednecks and I betcha your city ass that you ain't never been in a place in your rich uptight life to where you had to use the outhouse or been to an uncle's house that wrote m-a-l-e on the mail box…" Nicki sighed and looked over at Dani with laughter deep into her eyes.

"Dani, before I forget…I bought you something while I was at work a few days ago. It's not much but I think you will like it…" LJ grabbed his car keys from deep inside his jean pockets. "It's in the shag wagon…"

"First, I have something to tell you…follow me…" The young blonde grabbed LJ's hand and pulled him into the kitchen. She felt his warm hands walk their way up her side and finally cupping her face. "This is serious LJ…"

"I know…" LJ left a long trail of kisses down her neck until he reached her luscious pink glossed lips. He kissed her like no tomorrow and smiled at the innocence in her eyes afterward. "What was it that you wanted to tell me?" The young man backed Dani into a corner of the kitchen and moved his hands slowly down the side of her body.

"LJ, please stop, I have to…" Dani began to giggle as the lips of LJ tickled the side of her neck. She pulled away from the young man and smiled. "LJ this is serious…"

"I know…" He repeated continuing to kiss her neck moving on to the back of her right ear.

"LJ, come on…I'm pregnant!" She blurted out which brought great attention to LJ's face and eyes. Dani looked up with her eye lids slightly closed and smiled. "I found out a couple days ago…I haven't been to the doctor's office yet but I'm pretty sure of it…"

"Why couldn't you have told me sooner?" LJ let go of Danielle and placed both hands, palms flat upon the stove and began to stare toward his blonde girlfriend. "I'm dead…"

"No, I already told Nicole and she is fine with the situation. She told me that she would help us out with what she can but LJ, I don't think we can do this…" A tear entered Dani's eye as she looked at LJ in search of answers. "I can't do this alone." She whispered just under her breath.

"I don't know what to tell you Dani. You're going to have to figure this out. I can't handle all this pressure…" LJ grabbed the keys out of his pocket and looked at Dani with gentle eyes. "I have to go…" He turned to walk away from Dani and glanced back at her.

"LJ, don't do this to me…not now…I can't…" The young blonde begged dropping to her knees against the wall of the kitchen. Her eyes were filled with tears that nobody could compare to. "Don't to this to me…please…" She begged yet again.

"I'm sorry…" With that he turned back to face the front door and opened it. He noticed Nicki fast asleep on the couch and sighed a bit in relief. "I'm sorry…" He repeated.

----------------------- Michael's Chicago Apartment ----------------- (11:56 a.m.) -------------

"…And that is how I got in prison…" Michael finished moving his daughter from one knee to the other. He propped her back against his large right hand and smiled at the innocence of a five-year-old's smile.

"Thank you Mr. Scofield…" Jenny looked up at Michael with her glistening blue eyes and jumped off his lap. "I'm thirsty…" She said jumping up and down.

"What do you drink?" Scofield questioned unsure of what a child drinks. He knew exactly what he drank but was unsure exactly what a child would need and want. "I think I have some grape juice in the refrigerator when I was making…never mind…that isn't important. I'll go and get you some grape juice."

Michael walked into the kitchen and noticed the clock in which read noon by this time. He looked down at his watch to find the exact same time. The thought of Jenny leaving now was just unacceptable in his opinion. He knew exactly what it was like for a father to leave and only he could fix it for future generations. Lincoln had regretted the fact he wasn't around for LJ's childhood and he wasn't about to doom Jenny into that fate. He lifted the grape juice out of the refrigerator and smiled.

"Daddy, why are you crying?" Jenny pointed up to her father's face and smiled. "Don't cry daddy…please don't cry daddy…I love you…" She said with a sweet voice that nearly choked Michael on the inside.

"I'm not honey, daddy just got something in his eye little girl. Are you ready for your juice?" Scofield wiped his eyes with his sleeve and helped his daughter up into the bar stool of his kitchen. "Here you are…" He grabbed the small glass of juice and sat it in front of Jenny.

"When do I get to see you again?" Jenny wiped her grape juice mustache just above her lip and smiled.

"Soon…I promise…" He helped the little girl wipe the grape juice from above her lip and smiled. Michael looked down at his watch and sighed as he heard the doorbell of his apartment. "You just sit here and finish your juice while I get the door…"

"Wait daddy…" The little red head looked up at her father and smiled. "Thank you Mr. Scofield."

"You're welcome Ms. Folger…" He winked and walked on to the living room toward the front door.

Scofield opened the door to find Sara standing alone in the middle of his door way. He opened the door further allowing her inside and smiled. "You've raised a beautiful daughter Sara; we have a beautiful daughter…" Michael looked at Sara and grabbed her hand. "I never meant to hurt you the way I did and I apologize for everything just don't take my baby girl away from me…"

"Michael, you know things are more complicated than that. I can't just forgive you for what you've done and act like everything is okay. I just can't do that Michael and that is one thing you will just have to understand…" Sara looked around the apartment and found no sign of Jenny. "Where is Jen?"

"She is in the kitchen drinking grape juice. I told her she could finish her juice before she leaves." Scofield walked further into his apartment with Sara following closely behind.

"Aunt Sara, is it time to go already? Daddy was telling me about his story in jail and how the pink spotted elephants played with daddy in the courtyard. Did you go to jail to Aunt Sara?" Jenny rose up her glass indicating she was done with her grape juice was completely gone. She watched Michael reach for the empty glass and place it in the sink next to where Sara was leaning.

"Jenny, are you ready to go? Todd is waiting for us in the car." Sara grabbed the bag of toys from the corner of the room and looked over at Jenny. She walked toward the bar stool and scooped Jenny into her arms. "Michael, good luck on your flight back to Ohio."

"Wait Daddy, I thought you were staying in Chicago…daddy don't leave now…I promise I won't drink all your grape juice anymore." Jenny began to wiggle in the arms of Sara and held her hands out for Michael to grab.

"I'm sorry Jenny, not this time…" Scofield watched Sara carry Jenny into the living room and smiled. He waved goodbye to his only daughter and watched them walk down the hall until they were no longer visible.

…I won't let this happen…

------------------------- Nicole's Apartment ----------------------------- (8:03 p.m.) -------------

Nicki gently opened her eyes from a nap she had endeavored a couple hours before and smiled. She knew Michael was coming home at eight and the dark brunette didn't want to miss his arrival. Looking down at her watch she noticed it was three minutes after eight and sighed. On the coffee table she saw a folded paper crane and smiled. She picked up the crane and held it between her boney fingers.

"So, this is your idea of being her for our anniversary…if it was so important than why aren't you here with me?" Nicki questioned looking around the living room with no sign of Michael anywhere.

She closed her eyes and thought back to a time when Michael promised her something extraordinary that even she could barely believe.

"That's ashamed that he still makes you work despite your obvious commitment into working for Food Town…" Scofield lifted Nicki's chin just so that he could watch a single steady tear roll down her face and land against his hand. He felt her right hand cover his on top and he smiled. "Someday everything will be set right Nicki…I promise…"

"Don't make any promises that you don't intend on keeping Michael. Mason did that to me and I can't and won't let my heart get caught up in all those lies. Now if you will excuse me I have to be at work in ten minutes or George will fire me…" Nicki grabbed her keys from inside her dark coat pocket and sighed.

Realizing that he exposed a sensitive subject, Michael grabbed her arm and pulled her in toward his cold exposed chest. He looked deep into her eyes and ran a single finger along her lips so that she was much more tranquil. "I'm sorry Nicki…"

"Why do you have to be so great and lead me to believe that all men aren't assholes?" A gentle tear came streaming down the young woman's face as she placed the side of her face against his chest and felt Michael's hands wrap around her shivering body.

"I think your problem is that you're stressed and you have nobody to be there for you Nicole. You just need to take it day by day instead of getting yourself caught up in everything all at once…" Scofield ran his boney fingers along her silky hair until he reached the edge of her neck and smiled.

"I told you not to promise me things you don't intend on keeping!" Nicki yelled tearing the bird into pieces until she glanced into the doorway of the front door to find a tall structure hovering in the doorway. "Michael!" She yelled in high hopes it would be him.

"Nicki, its LJ. Have you seen Dani? I said some things earlier and I just have to talk to her now…please Nicki…" Soaked from the pouring rain he entered the living room and searched the room for Dani but found no trace of her. "What happened to her?"

"…She left…she left about four hours ago to Smithville…and said she wouldn't be back for a while…whatever you did son…you fucked up and you know it!" Nicki looked at LJ and sighed. "If you leave now you might make it before the night is up but I highly doubt it and you don't have the funds to go anyway…"

"That doesn't matter, I will find her if it is the last thing I ever intend on doing." Now determined he ran out of the apartment and into his station wagon.

-------------------------------------- Dayton Airport ------------------- (8:30 p.m.) ----------------

Michael leaned against the stall door of the bathroom with a dazed look across his face. He thought back to Nicki despite the fact he had images of Sara rolling through his mind at the exact same time. Scofield punched the side of the stall creating a stir in the men's room and groaned. The stress created anger deep inside the tattooed man, such anger that even the strongest man couldn't hold on to for too long. He felt his cell phone vibrate deep inside his pocket and answered it.

"Hello?" Michael answered examining his hand from just a moment ago. The knuckles of his right hand were partially bleeding which didn't compare to the blood left on the side of the stall.

"Michael." A female voice said.

"I'm sorry this isn't the best time to talk. I'll call you back…" Scofield began to intently listen to the other end of the phone until he heard a click. He threw his phone back into his pocket and punched the side of the stall once more.

"Are you okay in there buddy?" A man questioned from outside the stall. He stared at the door and sighed. "Don't' take this personally, but I think you have some anger issues that need to be cleared up immediately dude."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about…" Michael yelled feeling the vibrating phone against his leg. He grabbed the phone from his pocket and saw Nicki's name flashing upon the front screen.

"I told you this is a bad time Nicki…" Scofield said into the phone watching a drop of blood run down the stall.

"It's our anniversary; you know that thing that you celebrate with your significant other. You promised me that you would be here and you said that a true man never backs down on a promise…" Nicki looked in the doorway of her apartment and felt the redness of her cheeks.

"Something has come up and I won't be back for another week…" He admitted.

"What do you mean that something has come up Michael? I should have known. I told myself not to fall for another man because my heart gets broken every single time but you just had to see if I was lying. Thanks a lot Michael…"

"It's not like that. I just don't want my daughter to end up without her father like me. My father left my brother and I when I was born and my mother died shortly after. You have no clue what that is like so before you go and open your trap I suggest you realize what you're talking about before forming a sentence…"

"I can't believe you would say something like that Michael…" In tears Nicki dropped down to her knees with her cell phone in one hand.

"Baby, you know I would never hurt you but this is one thing I have to do for myself. I promise you that I'll be back. I'll never leave you. So let me worry about Chicago and you have a vacation okay. Ms. Burlow…you mean the world to me." Softening up, Michael smiled and chuckled.

"It's Nicki, Mr. Scofield…"

"It's Michael…"

"I know…"

"Me too…"

"I'll see you soon…I promise…I'll be home tomorrow…"

"What about your daughter?"

"You just let me worry about the trouble in Chicago. All I want for you to do is wait for me and I promise to make everything up to you…I promise…" Scofield hung up the phone and placed it deep inside his pocket.

He looked around his stall and felt another incoming phone call. "What the hell is up with this?" Michael opened his cell phone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Michael, its Sara. I can't talk long…Todd went to take the kids around the block and should be back soon but I just wanted to thank you for everything today. I'm sorry I ever doubted you with Jenny…you make a great father…"

"…I would have made a better husband…" He said softly.

"I have a fiancé and you have a girlfriend. If you intend on hitting on me anymore I will take all privileges away with your daughter. I don't need you anymore Michael, I don't want you and Todd needs me."

"I respect your decision Sara. I just don't want to screw up Jenny's childhood. That is the last thing I want to do. Plus I envision Nicki in my future and that is all that matters…" Michael sighed. "I'm leaving for Tipp tomorrow early morning so tell Jenny I say hello."

"When are you going to see her again?" Sara questioned anxiously.

"I'm not sure but it will be soon Sara."

"Do you love Nicki the way you loved me Michael?"

"No, because with Nicki I don't have to concentrate on thinking about the love I have for her. I just know and that is what I was looking for…"

"Right, it's not my place anyway. Bye." She hung up the phone and smiled.

Michael turned around in this stall and opened the door to find a mass of men watching his ever move. He sighed and walked out of the bathroom without another word. Scofield now had his mind made up on what he wanted…but there was still a choice he had to make. Michael looked around the airport and knew he had to now choose between the one thing he wanted most...and the greatest thing he's ever found.

-------------------------------- End of Chapter --------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Well, so the chapter end but the adventure is just beginning. Please stay tune and read chapter eleven to find out where fate brings the foursome. In case you didn't catch it, the last line of the chapter above is the summary of my book which is very important for upcoming chapters. I would also appreciate some reviews on what people are thinking! Am I taking the book to slow? Fast? Is it good? Or do I need to improve in a certain area? I would really appreciate some reviews but I'm not an author who threatens to stop writing over some reviews either. So all in all I hope you enjoyed chapter 10 and 11 should be posted within the next week depending on how the real world goes. I bid you adieu! REVIEW!!!!! REVIEW!!! REVIEW!!!!! PLEASE????