Chapter 10: Touch of Sun and Mark of You

The final chapter... More author's note stuff at the bottom. Enjoy this last chapter!

They say the weather in San Diego is perfect: not too hot, not too cold, and sunny most days. From the moment tourists step off the airplanes that soared them across the country (and in some cases the world), they are bombarded by sunlight. As they lift a hand to shade their eyes, the visitors spy foliage in the distance so green that for a moment, they can forget the pure azure sky. As they make their way through the airport to baggage claim, they clamor excitedly about how wonderful it already seems.

Sara Tancredi was, needless to say, not one of the clamoring tourists. Back in the days when she was a fugitive, Sara had learned that it was best not to draw unnecessary attention to herself. This lesson had stuck, and so she found herself striding quickly through the terminal, wanting only to get past the families on vacation and the weary businessmen before they all congregating in front of the rotating luggage belts, effectively preventing her from reacquiring hers. She wanted to be on her way as quickly as possible. Plus, for all she cared, it could be five degrees and snowing out. She wasn't in the city for the weather.

Fifteen minutes later, the automatic doors whooshed open to allow the auburn-haired woman to step out into the nearly blinding sunlight. Good thing she remembered to bring sunglasses on this trip. Sara searched through her carry-on bag for a moment before pulling a pair of dark frames out. Once they settled carefully on the bridge of her nose, she easily flagged down a taxi. As Sara shoved her bags into the back and climbed in, explained that she needed a hotel, and the driver sped off down the road.

Shortly thereafter, the cab arrived at a nearby hotel. Sara paid, exited, and entered the hotel. Twenty minutes after that, having checked in and deposited her bags, she quickly found another cab. She hailed over another cab. As Sara read off an address, the driver nodded and took off.

Some time later- Sara wasn't sure how long; she lost all sense of time staring out the window at the never-ending line of buildings. Except, she wasn't really seeing them. Instead, she was mentally reliving the events of the past four months.

It had been six weeks since Michael, Lincoln, and LJ had returned from Chicago, making it late April. Two weeks after their departure, Sara had been summoned to a meeting with Carrol and the Chief of the hospital. Together, they explained that they had agreed for Sara to be suspended without pay until a committee of some sort could review the situation and decide on the correct subsequent consequences. It didn't really matter that she still had a chance to regain her job; after "suspended without pay" Sara stopped listening. She knew that even if the committee allowed her to hold onto her job, she would carry only a shred of the influence of her previous influence, and it would be a mockery of her time before. So, at the end of their lecture, Sara formally resigned. She lingered in the area for a few weeks, trying to find acceptable work, before deciding the place she really needed to be was San Diego. A little research and a plane ride later, there she was.

Sara still felt horrible about having to turn Michael down before, but she stood by her decision. She had needed to stay to find out about her job, to make up her mind and decide if this was what she really wanted. Now, two months removed from the incident, Sara felt she was able to make this choice with a clear mind. She only hoped Michael still wanted to see her.

"Hey, lady, you gonna get out of my car or not?" The driver demanded, turned around and looking at her.

"What? Oh, sorry. Yes. What do I owe you?" Sara asked, snapping out of her thoughts and momentarily flustered. She paid the driver and got out of the vehicle. As he drove away, Sara stared up at the looming apartment building. It was nice, relatively new, and exactly the sort of place Sara had always envisioned Michael living. She took a deep breath, and walked inside.

The lobby was average. Decorated in a modern way, there was a large desk behind which two employees sat. Sara was about to stride over to ask which apartment was Michael's when she spied a familiar face.

"Sara?" Lincoln found his voice again before Sara did.

"Lincoln." She responded as he walked over to her. "Hi."

"Hey. What are you doing here?" He asked, jamming his fists into the pockets of his jeans.

"I came to see how he's doing. I'm sorry, I should have called, but-"

"Don't worry about that. It's not like he called you before he went to Chicago." Lincoln advised her. "So you just decided to come out here? Just like that?"

"I thought about it. I was in trouble with the hospital for how I handled Michael's case, and everyone agreed it would be easiest if I quit, so I did. I cleared everything up, and then I didn't have anything else to do, so…." She explained.

"Ah."

"Is that a problem?" She paused, waiting for a response. She didn't get one. "You know what, I shouldn't have come. I'll just go." Sara made to turn away, but Lincoln caught her arm.

"Please don't." He said, releasing her. "It's just difficult right now."

"He's involved with someone now, isn't he?" Sara asked, voicing her worst concerns. This was rapidly becoming a disastrous situation, and she wanted to either see Michael or to leave, right now, while she still held onto a scrap of self-respect.

"The thing is, now may not be the best time for you to show up. There's some chairs over there. Let's go talk there." Lincoln suggested, pointing to a line of armchairs on the opposite side of the lobby. Sara nodded.

"So you're telling me he's remembered up to the escape." Sara stated, to make sure she had it right. "Including me leaving the door open."

Lincoln nodded. "And he feels terrible about it." Sara couldn't fault Michael there; he really had taken complete advantage of her feelings for him then. "He's barely done anything these past few days, since he remembered. I doubt he'll be up to talking to you."

Sara exhaled slowly. This was unexpected. "How's he handled getting his memory back?"

The older brother shrugged. "It's strange, I'll tell you that. As stuff comes back to him, he gets moody depending on what it was. He remembered that I owed someone ninety grand, and assumed it was still and issue between him and I, and he wouldn't talk to me again until he remembered Veronica telling him that the ninety thousand was for him. He was pretty depressed when he remembered planning to break me out, and getting into Fox River." Lincoln hesitated.

"What is it?"

"It's just… He was so happy the day he got his first trip to the infirmary back. He could barely sit still. He thought about calling you, but he wasn't sure you'd appreciate it." He explained.

"Oh."

"And now he's remembered what he did to you, and he feels so guilty that I've had LJ watching him when I can't, because I'm afraid Michael might do something drastic." Lincoln finished.

Sara was silent for a moment, pondering the implications of all this. "You think he might hurt himself?" She asked for clarification.

"I don't know. I don't want to misjudge this. He did everything for me, and now its my turn to look out for him. After everything he did, I don't want to mess this up."

"I know, Lincoln." Sara said softly, in a sympathetic tone.

"You're welcome to hang out at mine and LJ's place until you can get a flight home, if you want." Lincoln offered.

Sara glanced up at him. "No. I need to talk to him."

"To Michael?" Lincoln asked, incredulous.

Sara nodded. "He feels bad. I need to talk to him."

"Are you sure this is going to help him?"

"No. But I need to talk to him, Lincoln. I need to. I love him." Sara explained softly. Lincoln sighed, but stood and nodded.

"Michael?" Lincoln called as he slid the key back onto his key ring and they entered Michael's apartment. Judging on how sound was coming from the other room, there was a TV on. There was not, however, an immediate response to Lincoln's call. "Mike?" He shouted louder this time.

"What do you want, Lincoln?" Michael's voice was defeated, listless.

"Someone's here to see you." Lincoln answered.

There was shuffling in the other room, and then slow footsteps. Michael appeared in the doorway. Sara noted that he was wearing only a pair of pajama pants and didn't appear to have shaved in days. It looked like he just didn't want to put any effort into anything, and this saddened her. Michael's lips moved soundlessly when he saw her.

"Hello, Michael." Sara said softly, in greeting.

Michael didn't respond. Lincoln glanced slowly at both of them. "I'll uh, I'll be downstairs if you need anything." Lincoln announced. When neither Sara nor Michael complained, he walked back out the door.

"You should go." Michael's voice sliced through the silence a moment later. Sara just crossed her arms defiantly. "You should go." He repeated.

"Why, Michael? So you can do this to yourself?" Sara asked, gesturing at his unkept appearance.

"You should go."

"Why?"

"Please, just go Sara." Michael breathed desperately.

"No." She took a few steps towards him. He took a few steps back, so Sara stopped moving.

"Michael, you have to let us help you."

"I don't deserve to be helped." Michael countered.

"Yes, Michael, you do." Sara asserted, taking a slow step forwards. "I cautioned you back in Chicago that not everything you would remember would be pleasant. We can get through this."

"Sara, please, no, just go. Please, leave me alone."

"I can't do that Michael. And I don't think you really mean any of that. I'm staying."

He was silent for a moment, watching her. Suddenly he turned away from her, facing a window. The window provided the only light in the otherwise dark apartment. "I hurt you so badly, Sara." He whispered, so quietly that she almost didn't hear him.

"That's okay, Michael. I forgave you a long time ago." Sara insisted softly.

Michael shook his head fervently. "No, no, it's not okay. I can never forgive myself for this."

Sara realized that he must have felt things like this before, while he still had all of his memories. He must have felt guilty ever since Fox River about what he put her through. And now he thought he was sparing her pain by not allowing himself to be with her? Suddenly Sara realized that this was probably exactly why he hadn't contacted her during the two years for similar reasons. He didn't feel worthy of her, so he kept himself away. Everything that Sara had wondered about before about them became clear. And while she was thrilled that he cared so deeply about her to do this to himself, Sara knew that this couldn't stand.

She came to stand next to him. They both stood, just staring out the window for several minutes. Eventually he turned to her. "You need to leave." Michael said.

Instead of arguing again, Sara pressed up on her toes and kissed him. Feelings that she'd tried to put off for two months flooded back, filling her with a searing, passionate heat. Her hands drifted towards his face, and came to rest on his shoulders. After a moment, Sara realized that he wasn't responding in any way. She pulled back, and saw that he was just standing there, eyes open, hands limp at his sides as though he didn't care at all.

"Michael-"

"Please go." Michael repeated, more firmly now.

"Michael, please just listen-"

"Go."

"Michael, I-"

"Don't say it!" He urged her, knowing exactly what three words she was about to utter.

"I love you!" Sara proclaimed. Neither spoke for a long moment. "I love you, and it's okay. I forgave you years ago. I love you."

Michael stared at her, staring into her eyes. "It's not okay. I ruined your life."

"You didn't ruin it." Sara insisted. "I promise. I love you, and the last time I saw you, you loved me too."

"Of course I love you, Sara." Michael stated assertively. "But I hurt you so badly…"

Sara kissed him again. "It's okay." She murmured in his ear. "I hurt you pretty bad too."

"I love you." He whispered back. She thought he sounded like he was clinging to that statement, as though if he lost that, he would lose everything. Sara felt very much the same way.

"I love you too, Michael." Sara replied. He kissed her passionately, with all the heat he could muster. It was such a sharp contrast to his mood only moments before, and Sara was glad for the turnaround. Based on Lincoln's description, Michael was exhibiting more energy in this moment than in the past week. "Michael?"

"Hmm?"

"You haven't remembered it yet, but we've both had our moments where we mess up this relationship. It's not just you. I've done things too." Sara explained.

Michael paused for a moment, taking a brief break from unbuttoning her shirt. "Why don't you tell me about it?" He asked, leaning in to kiss her again.

Sara laughed, and kissed him back. "Maybe later." She said.

Perhaps a little fluffy here, but after everything, they deserved it.

So that's the final chapter. I really hope you enjoyed this story. It took me about twice as long to write it as I anticipated it would, and was nearly twice as long, but I'm happy with it. A HUGE thank you to everyone who took the time to read this story, and especially to those who reviewed! Please review this last chapter and let me know what you think!

Now I just need to find something else to write...