(Michael)

"Janet, I need you to do something for me", Michael spoke into the phone.

"I need you to call Hotels in the Chicago area, see if they have a guest registered by the name of, and it was on his lips to say Sara Tancredi…but then he remembered that Sara was married and was no longer using her maiden name. By the name of Sara Thomas", he finished.

"I'll get right on it, Sir", Janet said in her always efficient voice.

"Thanks, Janet".

Michael sighed and hung up the phone.

Putting his face in his hands he heaved a weary sigh. He had gotten in to Chicago late, and thinking he was dead on his feet he had crawled into bed only to close his eyes and see Sara.

He had kept replaying their conversation in his head, his closed eye lids like a television screen. After two hours of this he had finally given up and headed for the shower.

He now sat at his desk, his third cup of coffee cooling next to his hand. He had nothing work related in front of him.

In fact, the only thing in front of him other than the cup which read 'sexy engineer', a joke gift from Jennifer, was an article with a small picture of Sara which he had printed out the day before.

Michael was exhausted, but he somehow knew that if he were to try to sleep he would find himself tossing and turning, his mind unable to shut down despite his fatigue.

He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his closed eyes.

He felt his mind drifting into a semblance of sleep but his eyes sprang open instantly at the sound of his ringing phone.

"Yes, Janet"?

He sat forward a little in his chair.

"Mr. Scofield, I have the information you requested", Janet said as Michael clutched the phone tightly.

"I'm listening", he said intently.

Michael listened quietly as Janet spoke. And then grabbing a sheet of paper, he quickly jotted down the name and location of Sara's hotel.

(Sara)

Sara turned from the window of her hotel room and walked back to the bed.

She had been staring out at the Chicago traffic for much too long lost in her troubled thoughts.

Her mind was still reeling from her encounter with Michael. She had thought of nothing else the entire plane trip.

When she had finally reached her hotel she had grabbed a quick dinner and then fallen into bed exhausted. But she hadn't slept well, her dreams had been filled with memories and possibilities.

It seemed Michael Scofield followed her where ever she went.

And now Michael was in California. Why would he be in California? Was he there because of her? But then why would he want to see her, when he was engaged to be married?

Sara had gone over this in her head so many times she felt like screaming.

She knew she needed to stop thinking about him and just go see her sister, but he keep stepping forward in her mind blocking all other coherent thought.

She would find herself thinking how good his fingers had felt wrapped around her arm. She could still see his smile.

Sara sighed softly and told herself to get moving, to forget about him.

Grabbing her coat and hand bag she stepped outside her hotel room and shut the door quietly behind her.

She would do what she had come to Chicago to do. She would go meet her twin sister. Sara felt a smile lift her face at the thought of finding her family.

As she strode purposefully towards the elevator, Sara vowed to herself she wouldn't think of Michael Scofield again, she would push him from her mind.

She pressed the elevator button and waited, her mind stubbornly replaying the scene at the airport once again in a moment of weakness.

Sara sighed again at the blatant betrayal of her thoughts. But when the elevator door opened her heart stopped and then took off full speed.

"Michael"? She muttered confused.

What was he doing here? Was he back from California already?

"Sara", he said softly.

The elevator started to close so he stuck a hand out to stop it. They stood staring at each other for a few moments and then he stepped out of the elevator and moved towards her.

"I need to speak with you, please"? He said, and when she didn't say anything he took her elbow in hand and steered her away from the elevator.

Sara let him lead her back to her room, but instead of opening the door she put her back to it and looked at him.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Michael", she said finding his closeness painful.

Sara knew she shouldn't be alone with him. She was being honest with herself for the first time in a long time. And the truth was she couldn't trust herself around him.

He stepped closer and she eased herself away from the door gaining a little more distance.

"I have to be somewhere", she lied. "I'm here on business, Michael".

Michael nodded.

"Yeah, I figured as much, about you being here on business I mean. Can we meet for dinner then"?

After a few beats when she still hadn't answered, "I swear I won't show up here again, if you just agree to meet me for dinner tonight", he smiled.

Sara smiled and then laughed softly.

"Okay, Michael, dinner. But I really have to go now", she said and eased her way around him.

He followed her and they waited quietly for the elevator that would take them to the lobby.

When the doors swooshed open Michael stepped aside to let her enter and then stepped into the elevator behind her.

When the doors closed Sara stared straight ahead for a moment, and then reached to hit the button to take them to the lobby.

She felt Michael's eyes on her and looked at him with an uncomfortable smile.

"I hope you like Thai. I found this great little place about a month ago", Michael said and Sara was grateful for the small talk to break the tension in the close elevator.

"That sounds good", she said and breathed a sigh of relief when the elevator doors slid open.

She was starting to walk away when his fingers wrapped around her wrist.

"Is 7:00 okay"?

Sara just stared at him for a moment her body much too aware of his fingers on her skin.

"Um..Yes..7:00 is fine", she mumbled softly as she inwardly scolded herself for her school girl reaction.

"I have to go, Michael", she said and his fingers slipped from her wrist as she walked away from him.

Sara breezed through the hotel door and out into the busy noise of the Chicago streets wondering how she would get through dinner with him. It seemed he still did things to her senses she couldn't explain.

The cool Illinois air felt good on her flushed cheeks.
And Sara took a deep relieved breath of it as she hailed a cab.

She pulled open the door and hopped in when the cab pulled to the curb and came to a stop.

Looking out the window she saw Michael watching her. He stood with his hands on his hips and when he noticed her looking his way he smiled at her. Sara smiled back and then leaned forward.

"I need to go to W. Melrose Street; Sara said.

She then settled back into the seat as the cab shot forward into downtown traffic.