Hello again- and for the last time! We've reached the end, folks! This chapter is pretty pointless, actually, but it ties up a few loose ends and wraps the story in a nice little bow haha. Thank you all so so much for reading and for reviewing! I've really, really appreciated the response. It helped me get through some rough writer's block and moments where I had a few plot holes! This will most likely not be the only story I write for Prison Break, mainly because I've enjoyed writing it so much, so keep an eye out for me. Maybe I'll write something else soon. ;)
Thank you so incredibly much, once again, and for the last time, enjoy! It's been a fun ride!
Fourteen
The police cars pull away and the fire has long since been put out, although the charred remains of the mansion are unsalvageable. The crowd had died down moments before, the excitement leaving with the neighbors and press, and soon, the only people left were the original six who had infiltrated the mansion that very morning. Arrangements had already been made for Sofia, LJ and the children to be flown into Orlando and Michael, Lincoln and Sara are chomping at the bit and ready to leave to go meet them there. But, before they go, Kellerman calls one last meeting in order to go over the final logistics. He pulls five envelopes out of his briefcase before turning and addressing the group.
"Well, this is it, people," Kellerman begins. "We've reached the end of the road. It's really over, this time."
"It better be," Lincoln tells him. "If you contact me again, I'll break both your arms."
"Charming," Kellerman jokes and begins handing out an envelope to each of them. "On behalf of the United Nations, I would like to personally thank you for your time and commitment. As previously discussed, this task was placed at the utmost importance and your participation in the operation was not taken lightly."
Sucre is the first to open his and he balks at the sight of a check made out in his name. "Five hundred thousand dollars?!"
"You earned it, Fernando," Kellerman smiles. "You all earned it."
Michael and Sara share a look, the former asking, "What are we going to do with a million dollars?"
Kellerman, again, grins. "Take that trip to Disney, Michael."
"With this kind of money, we could move in," Sara adds.
"Why didn't you say anything about the money when you were bribing us?" Lincoln asks Alex, who shrugs.
"I didn't know we were getting money, honestly."
A phone rings, then, and it takes Kellerman a second before realizing it's stemming from his own pocket. He answers, nods a few times and then holds the phone to Alex, saying, "It's the FBI."
Alex takes the call immediately, stepping away from the group in order to have a more private conversation. Kellerman then decides he has to depart, shaking hands with Sucre and with Lincoln before turning to Michael and Sara. He grins that million-dollar grin and says, "I really hope we never meet again, Michael."
Michael agrees. "The feeling's mutual, Paul."
He turns to shake hands with Sara as well. "Take care, Sara."
"You too," She smiles politely.
They watch as he climbs into his town car and idles a moment, more than likely waiting for Alex, who's still chatting away on the cell phone. When he's finished the conversation, he approaches the group to say, "The FBI just offered me my job back. They're impressed with everything I've done and with all my hard work, they said they could really use me."
"Congratulations."
"I don't know if I'm going to take it," He considers. "I've got a really good thing going at the UN. Do I really want to go back to a life of chasing convicts?"
"It's up to you," Michael tells him. "Me, I'm done running. And I'm done making decisions for other people."
"You don't have that great of a track record recently, anyway," Lincoln teases. "Killed Shales and never caught us."
"Well, there is that," Alex snorts. "I don't know. I'll think about it. For now, Kellerman's my ride back to Washington."
He hugs Sucre and both offer the other well wishes. Lincoln claims he doesn't give hugs and instead offers a handshake. "Good luck, man."
"Yeah, you too, Linc," Alex smiles, turning to Sara. "Goodbye, Sara."
"Goodbye," She smiles back, pulling him into a hug. "Don't be a stranger, understand?"
He chuckles. "I won't. Not like the last time."
Michael agrees, shaking Alex's hand and saying, "The government might not come for friendly visits, but you always can."
Alex nods. "I sure will."
He bids farewell once more and then climbs into the car with Kellerman. Sucre, too, decides this is the end of the road for him. He's booked a one-way flight back to Chicago that leaves from the St. Petersburg-Clearwater airport in about an hour. Lincoln tells him to be safe, to keep an eye out for his children, and Sucre offers the same, saying he'll never take another day for granted again. Sara tells him to keep his bandage dry and if he ever has any other questions, to call her; he tells her he'll be fine because the best doctor in the world has treated him. And Michael tells Sucre he must visit more often; he's missed his best friend. Sucre agrees and says he will only if they do the same.
Once all three members of their group have gone, it's just Michael, Sara and Lincoln left standing on the side of the long, winding road, the salty ocean lapping at the shore a few feet away. It reminds them very much of how things ended last time; Michael and Sara had married on a beach much like this one and at first no one knew what to do with their newfound freedom. Eventually they'd all gone home to move on with their lives, which the three suppose they must also do this time. A quick ride to Orlando to reunite with their families will do that for them, no doubt. Michael glances from his brother to his wife and realizes, much like the last time, he needs nothing more.
"What do we do now?" Lincoln asks.
"Now," Michael replies. "We move on."
Orlando International Airport is packed like a tin of sardines with travelers, but even still, when the 2:15 flight in from North Carolina empties into the terminal, Sara can pick out her children from a mile away. They run to her and Michael, screeching with excitement, and Sara's immediately checking them all over for bumps, bruises, cuts and any other visible sign that they had been kidnapped and held in a closet. Thankfully, she finds nothing; instead, she pulls Noah into her arms, standing and bringing him with her. Michael effortlessly lifts Zoe as her tiny arms wrap around his neck, telling him she'd missed him as he tells her he loves her. Sara tries not to, really she does, but a moment later she's crying. Noah pulls back in her arms a bit to wipe the tears away, telling her not to cry because he's okay and Zoe's okay and they're okay and after all, Mommy, crying is for when you're sad, not happy.
She and Michael switch kids a moment later, Zoe kissing both of Sara's cheeks over and over as Noah hugs onto his father tight and doesn't let go. And it's in that moment that everything is worth it; enduring the long distances and wielding guns and being tied to a chair and watching people die had all been worth it because the alternative had been letting them get away. The last thing Michael and Sara want is for their children, their beautiful, bright, resilient and happy children, to live in a world where they have to fear a governmental conspiracy. They'd beaten them, taken down the bad guys, and made the world a slightly better place in which their children could grow and thrive.
Michael glances over his shoulder, where Lincoln is having just as much of a joyous reunion with Sofia and LJ, telling them not to worry; that now it is truly and completely over. It's then that Michael remembers the fifth party; Emily Morgan is standing quietly and nervously off to the side, watching as these two families reunite and not getting the chance to do the same with her own. He glances at both Sara and Lincoln, silently asking both of them what they're going to do about her. Neither one of them have an answer. Noah still in his arms, Michael steps a bit closer to Emily and smiles warmly, attempting to make her feel welcome in the unfamiliar situation.
"Hi Emily," He greets her. "My name's Michael."
"Hi," She smiles back. "Do you know when I'll be able to go home? I miss my mom."
Michael hesitates. "I'm not sure yet."
"I want to take Emily to Disney World with us," Noah tells his father again. "Please? Can we?"
"When are we going to Disney World?" Zoe asks, toying with Sara's hair. "Can we go right now?"
"We'll go soon, baby," Sara promises. "We have some things we need to figure out first."
Sofia then gathers the adults together, the children taking a seat on the many plastic airport chairs and talking animatedly about which ride they'd like to go on first. Sofia says, "I didn't tell her about Rita. I didn't know how."
"No, it's okay," Lincoln tells her. "I don't think we should be the ones to tell her."
"Then who should?" Sara asks. "Her father's dead, her mother's in prison and her adoptive mother was murdered. She doesn't have anywhere to go; we're all she has right now."
"You said one of Gretchen's many conditions was to be released from prison," Michael implores. "Do you think Kellerman can do that?"
"You really want her back out on the streets?" Lincoln questions in disbelief.
"She isn't a threat anymore," Michael reasons. "And she's the only family Emily has left."
"I'll call Paul and see what he says," Sara suggests, whipping out her cell phone and dexterously dialing his number. "I can't guarantee anything."
"If she does get out, Emily will have to stay with her," Michael explains. "If not… I don't know. But someone's going to have to tell her sooner or later that she won't be returning to California."
Surprisingly, LJ steps up. "I'll do it. She and I kind of established a rapport the past couple of days."
"Son, you don't have to do this," Lincoln shakes his head. "We'll see what Kellerman says. We'll have him tell her."
"No," LJ shakes his head. "It should come from someone she trusts, not some stranger."
LJ goes over and sits beside Emily, his face grave. It's almost as if she can sense what he's about to say and within moments of him speaking, she breaks down into sobs. He's patting her back awkwardly, apologizing profusely and telling her he, too, knows what it's like to have The Company kill a parent. Sofia then asks, "Should we tell her about Gretchen, too?"
"You mean that she's Emily's real mother?" Michael clarifies and Sofia nods. Michael shakes his head. "No. We'll let Gretchen handle that. She's been traumatized enough for one day."
Just then, Sara returns to the group, the cell phone pressed to her chest, Kellerman on hold. "Paul says that, under the circumstances, Gretchen will be released in six months pending the trials of Stacy, Heath and Edison. He's counting on them to clear her name and even if they don't, he says he'll be able to pull some strings and make sure she doesn't serve anymore time."
They nod and Lincoln asks, "And what about Emily?"
"She'll be under Gretchen's care once she's released from prison and he's working on the legal documentation as we speak," Sara says. "But until then, since she's a minor and doesn't have a legal guardian, Emily will be placed in foster care."
Sofia gasps. "Foster care?"
"No, no that's bullshit," Lincoln disagrees. "She's lost so much already and now she's going to be taken away and just shoved in some home? No. Not happening."
"Well there isn't anything I can do," Sara says regretfully.
"No, but there's something we can do," Lincoln states, glancing at Sofia. "Tell Kellerman- ask him- if it would be alright if we took care of her until Gretchen got out."
Sofia smiles. "Really?"
"Yeah," Lincoln nods. "I mean she's been with you and LJ for the past week. I just think she should be with people she knows rather than strangers. Especially now."
Sara grins and says, "Okay. Okay, I'll ask him."
A moment later, some good news comes from the other end. "Paul says he'll have to file some paperwork and it could take a few days to process, but that it should be fine."
Lincoln grins, too. "Fantastic."
He and Sofia crouch beside Emily, who's stopped crying, but is still sniffling here and there. Lincoln says, "Hi Emily. I'm so sorry this happened to you."
"Thanks," She sniffles. "I kind of had the feeling something like this would happen, but it doesn't mean I was ready for it. I'm really going to miss her."
"I know you will, sweetheart," Sofia says. "You're going to live, now, with your Aunt Gretchen, but until she's ready for you, we were wondering if maybe you would want to come stay with Lincoln, LJ and I."
"Sure," She smiles slowly. "I would like that."
"Great," Lincoln smiles back. "Now before we get out of here, is there anything you'd like? Would you like to maybe head back to California? We could visit her grave; you could say goodbye?"
"No," Emily's adamant, shaking her head. "I don't want to go back there."
"Do you want to maybe call someone?" LJ asks. "A friend or a neighbor that could be worrying about you?"
"No," Emily insists. "No, I don't want to."
She's visibly upset and they all wish they could make things better. Lincoln asks, "Well, is there anything you do want to do?"
Emily thinks for a while before glancing at Noah and Zoe and then back at Lincoln and Sofia with a smile. "Well, I've never been to Disney World."
"Disney World!" Noah and Zoe cheer and this settles it; they're headed to Disney.
It's a celebration trip that also serves as their very first family vacation. They drive the fifteen, twenty minutes or so to Lake Buena Vista Drive, are greeted by the majestic purple arches and Mickey Mouse and the gang, and the children screech with delight. Kellerman's generous endowment couldn't have come at a better time; they hadn't brought more than a couple hundred dollars cash with them on their journey, but with his money in their pocket- and the rest in the bank- Michael, Sara and Lincoln book a week of Disney World fun, deciding to stay at one of the resorts for double the magic. That very first night, before any of the fun had begun, Michael and Sara order room service, settle with their children in one of the three beds, and watch the complimentary Disney vacation planning video, their children giddy with glee.
Their week of Disney enchantment is nothing short of magical; they buy their children personalized Mickey ears and Noah insists they buy one for their dear Uncle Linc, too. He wears it with pride, despite how ridiculous he looks, a grown man of his stature in Mickey ears. He takes a new photo of Michael, Sara, Noah and Zoe outside of Cinderella's castle and this comes to be one of the best from the entire trip. They ride the teacups and It's A Small World and the Haunted Mansion. They have breakfast with Mickey, Minnie and the gang, soar with Peter Pan to Neverland and find buried treasure with the Pirates of the Caribbean. They travel to Africa and Asia on a wild safari at Animal Kingdom, soar to the future and blast to the past at Epcot and bask in the glitz and glam of fame and fortune at Hollywood Studios. On the hotter days, they splish and splash through the cool waters of Disney's own water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. It exhausts the children; they fall asleep instantly each night, but each morning, they're up at the crack of dawn, Mickey ears atop their heads and joy in their hearts, ready for the brand new day.
On the last night of their vacation, Lincoln and Sofia insist that Michael and Sara take a night off. They feed the kids and bathe them and tuck them into bed before leaving them with their trusted uncle and pseudo-aunt (Lincoln and Sofia had never made it official, but they were as good as married). Michael and Sara decide to visit Downtown Disney, the strip of clubs and shops for Disney's adult guests looking for a little bit of nightlife to carry them away from princesses and pirates. But they don't end up visiting the clubs or shops; instead they're just content to amble through the streets, hand in hand, under the city lights.
"Well this is like déjà vu, isn't it?" Michael asks.
Sara laughs. "Yeah. Except we're not on a beach, this time."
"No. No beaches in Central Florida, I'm afraid," Michael says. "Although we can make it more authentic if we talk about baby books and first words or first steps or whatever it is I said."
She grins. "Wouldn't make much sense, now."
"I guess not," He agrees and then says, "We should have another baby."
"I'm all for it," Sara says, glancing over at him. "As long as you have it, this time."
"Hey, you're the doctor," He chuckles. "You guys figure out a way to do that, yet?"
"Not quite."
"Guess you're stuck with it, then."
Sara shakes her head, changing the subject as she asks, "What are we supposed to do when we get home? The kids have missed three weeks of school. You and I haven't showed up for work in ages; we've probably been fired."
"Who needs it?" Michael shrugs and when Sara glances at him in disbelief, he adds, "I'm serious. We have a million dollars under our belt now; we'll buy a boat. Sail around the world, homeschool the kids… It could be great."
"Yeah," Sara agrees. "Except that neither one of us has homeschooling certification. I also doubt that the kids would enjoy uprooting their lives to sail around the world living on a boat."
"You're right," He sighs. "But we'd enjoy it."
"We would. That was the original plan, right?"
"It was indeed."
They amble in silence for a while before Michael says, "I don't know what we'll do once we get back. Is it bad that I don't care?"
Sara glances at him, a hint of a smile on her face. "How can you not care?"
"Because you and I, once again, defied all odds, went up against The Company and survived," Michael details. "We took them down, for good this time. I don't care what happens next. For once, I don't want to plan. I don't need one. I've got you, I've got Noah and I've got Zoe. That's all I need."
Sara grins. "I love you."
Michael grins right back. "I love you too."
He bends down and connects their lips, kissing in the moonlight, under the twinkling stars. In the distance, the booming of fireworks from Magic Kingdom signifies the beginning of the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular. They're too far away to see the fireworks, but above the tree line they see distant colors sparkling above the palms, blue and green and pink. It's beautiful and magical, but Michael knows once you've experienced true magic, the astounding, life-altering nature of true love, everything else pales in comparison. They kiss again, but they're smiling too wide and too elatedly to continue. From afar, an elderly couple watches as Michael and Sara continue down the strip, commenting on how happy, how blissfully in love the two look.
And for once, finally, they truly are. There's nothing hidden below the surface, nothing to fear, nothing to dread. Their lives are complete and wonderful and light, beautiful and majestic and filled with an endless love that no one, not even The Company, could take away. They head back to the hotel, turning Lincoln and Sofia away and thanking them for their watchful eyes. They kiss their children goodnight, pack up their things and prepare their airplane boarding passes for their early morning departure. They stuff the endless souvenirs into their suitcases, shower and ready themselves for bed. But through it all, the blissful smiles never leave their faces. They appear as though they've never been happier; they look as though everything they'd been through, both in these last two weeks and in the past seven years, had only made their love grow exponentially. They seem as though their lives are full of hope and promise and love, linked together with an unwavering happiness.
And for once, everything really is as it seems.