A/N: So here it is ladies and gentlemen. The chapter you have all been waiting for. The moment 20 chapters in the making. Enjoy.

Ch. 20: Home

After what felt like an eternity, Lincoln finally pulled away from his brother and wiped his eyes. It was then that he noticed that Michael was wiping tears of his own.

"How are you…? How is this…? What are you…? When did you…? How?" Lincoln babbled on as Michael laughed.

"Listen I will explain all of that later, but right now there is really only one person that I want to see. Well, two I guess," Michael added thinking of the son he had yet to meet.

"Oh my gosh. Mikey, or Michael I guess officially. You haven't met him. Mike, he's perfect. You'd be so proud, and even prouder of Sara for how she's raised him. She's been through so much."

"I have not. And if he is as amazing as Mahone described and as beautiful as he looked in the pictures I've seen, then I'm pretty sure there is not a more perfect baby out there."

"Pictures? Mahone?" Lincoln asked more confused than ever.

"Listen I promise I will explain everything later, but right now I need to go see Sara. It took every ounce of courage I had, not to mention major convincing by Mahone, Pam, Felicia, and Gretchen to get me here. And I promised them I would let them know how it goes, so where can I find them?" Michael asked.

"Gretchen? Like Gretchen Morgan?" Lincoln asked as his confusion increased.

"Linc! Focus!"

"Right, sorry. Upstairs, third door on the right," Lincoln said before adding, "and Mike? Welcome home. It's about damn time."

Michael made his way up the stairs. He saw many pictures on the wall of Sara, Mikey, Lincoln, Sophia, Sucre, and even of himself. He reached the top of the stairs and saw the door at the end of the hallway that marked where he assumed his son's room was. Suddenly, Michael was overcome with nerves. Every doubt that Mahone and Gretchen had tried to erase during the past few hours came rushing back at full force. Michael took several deep breaths, squared his shoulders, and walked to the end of the hallway. It was now or never.

Sara made her way up the stairs and to her son's room. She could hear his cries from down the hallway and wanted nothing more than to hold her baby in her arms and soothe him.

"Hi my baby boy," Sara cooed. "What's the matter, huh? What's all the fuss about?" she said as she picked him up. His cries almost instantly softened. It was amazing how soothed he was by his mother's presence.

"Mama," he cried and leaned his head on Sara's shoulder.

"You're fine buddy," she soothed as she rubbed circles in his back. She bounced around the room and walked over to the window that was opposite the door and looked out it.

"It's a pretty day today buddy. Maybe after dinner we can go outside and play on your swing set. Would you like that?" she asked rhetorically as she kissed Mikey's forehead.

"Daddy," he called out.

"Yeah baby," Sara acknowledged. "I miss Daddy too. So much."

"Daddy," he called again.

This time Sara turned around. And that's when she saw him.

At first Sara couldn't speak. She literally could not find her words. Sara was stunned. Everything that she had come to terms with, everything that she thought she knew had just been shattered in front of her very eyes. She was overcome with every emotion one could possibly feel, and the only one that seemed to matter—the only one that seemed to present itself amongst the multitude of things she was feeling was total and pure joy. However she could not express this joy, as she was frozen in not only shock, but fear that this was all a dream, and she would soon wake up in a cold sweat and tears.

And Michael was a complete wreck. Every doubt and every fear that he had tried so hard to ignore came flooding back to the surface as he saw Sara standing before him. She looked terrified—completely frozen in fear. His worst fears were coming true. This was not the reunion Michael had envisioned all of those months he was locked in the Company labs. He was crushed. He expected Sara to run into his arms and kiss him, but that was sadly not the case. Instead, she stood in the corner, clutching her son—their son tightly to her chest, as if she were afraid he would vanish if she let go. Maybe I shouldn't have come today. Maybe I should've just left her alone. Michael thought to himself.

But boy he couldn't have been more wrong.

If it weren't for Mikey's soft call to his father, God only knows how long Michael and Sara would have stood staring silently at each other in that nursery. But thankfully, Mikey broke the tension, as he always seems to do.

"Daddy!" he cried reaching for the man that he knew was his father, but had never seen in person until this very moment.

Michael instinctively reached for the child and took him into his arms.

Amid all the chaos of the Company debacle, Michael knew one thing that would never change. He knew that no matter what, come hell or high water, Michael Scofield would never love anyone as much as he loved Sara.

But today he was proven wrong. As he held his son—his beautiful and perfect baby boy—in his arms, he fell in love.

"Hi buddy," Michael started. "I'm your dad," he finished, voice breaking in the process.

It was in that moment that Sara chose to break out of her trance. Her head snapped up at the sound of her dead husband's voice talking to her—no their—their son. She made her way over to the perfect picture that was Michael and Mikey meeting for the first time.

"Michael?" she finally spoke. "Is that really you?" Sara asked reaching out to touch his arm, as to see if he was truly standing before her. When she touched his arm, and he didn't disappear Sara knew he was real. She knew that her dead husband wasn't actually dead and was instead standing right in front of her.

Sara remained speechless. She was completely shocked.

"Sara," Michael said trying to break her from the trance that she appeared to be in.

He received no response.

"Sara," he tried again.

Nothing.

"Say something, anything, please."

But Sara had no words and therefore had nothing to say. She instead dropped the baby blanket that she was holding and lunged for Michael. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him like there was no tomorrow. The kiss was aggressive, but sweet; hungry, but passionate. And it ended all too soon, but they had to remember the child that was being held between them.

As soon as their lips parted, Michael pulled Sara into the biggest hug he could manage with his son in one of his arms. He hugged her and held on for dear life. After everything they had been through, after everything they had lost, it felt so good and so right for Michael to be able to hold his wife in son in his arms. He couldn't imagine a more perfect reunion; he couldn't imagine a more perfect Thanksgiving.

When they finally broke apart, Michael noticed the tears streaming down Sara's cheeks. He reached out to wipe them away with the pad of his thumb and caressed her cheek, letting his hand linger on her soft skin for just a moment. Sara leaned into his hand and closed her eyes. She had been longing for his touch, his kiss, his smile, him for all too long, and now she finally had everything that her heart had wished for. Sara had everything she needed.

She opened her eyes and smiled at Michael who opened his mouth to speak, but was instead met with Sara's finger to his lips. She gestured to their son, who had fallen asleep amidst all the commotion and celebration surrounding his father's return. Michael smiled as he looked down at his son with so much pride. He couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't believe this day had come.

Michael carefully carried their sleeping son to his crib, placed a kiss on his forehead, and then laid him down to let him sleep. Sara smiled at the picture before her. Never in her wildest dreams did she think the love of her life would return. Michael turned around and smiled back at her. Sara motioned that she was leaving the room, and Michael followed behind her.

And suddenly, a passion was ignited within Sara. She needed Michael and she needed him now. And then her lips were on his. No, her lips weren't just on his lips; they were attacking his lips. However, unlike the kiss they shared in the nursery, there was nothing sweet or innocent about this kiss. This time, Sara devoured Michael, and he gave it right back to her. It expressed every emotion she felt. It expressed everything he had felt over the past year and a half. It expressed the pain and the sorrow, but also the love and the joy that they were overcome with in this very moment.

With one hand on Sara's back and the other tangled in her hair, his lips on hers, her hands roaming anything they could touch: his arms, his back, his head, his face, almost in an attempt to ensure that he was truly there, Michael finally felt joy. After almost two years of hell, Michael felt joy. He felt safe. He felt love. And most importantly, he felt home. He could not imagine a more perfect place to be than right in her arms, right in that moment.

After what felt like hours, they finally broke apart: cheeks flushed, lips swollen, panting—the whole nine yards. Sara smiled and for the first time in what had seemed like an eternity, the smile was real. It was the type of smile that went all the way to her eyes; the kind that made her whole face glow; the same smile that had warmed Michael's heart; the same smiled that he fell in love with. She reached for him, and he grabbed her hands, kissing her knuckles one by one.

However, when he came upon her left ring finger, he was shocked. He hesitated for a moment and pulled away, dropping her hands in the process.

Sara could instantly sense his sudden mood change and the smile that she thought had taken permanent residence on her face disappeared. She was afraid he didn't love her anymore; afraid that he didn't want her anymore. And she did not want to live in a world where Michael Scofield did not love her. She did not want to be with him, but not be able to actually be with him. No. That simply wasn't an option. Whatever had caused Michael's sudden mood change would have to be solved. There was no way she was ever letting him leave her again.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Sara questioned frantically. She was not ready to lose him so soon after getting him back.

Michael took a deep break in response, and turned his back to her, bracing himself on the wall with his hands. He could not believe this. She wasn't wearing. She wasn't wearing her ring anymore. He knew that it was only supposed to be a temporary ring and that he had promised to get her a new one once everything was cleared up, but that opportunity never came. He never thought that she would stop wearing it. The thought had never crossed him mind. However, in hindsight, he realized how naïve that was. Sara was beautiful, inside and out, and any guy would jump at the chance to be in her life. He just never imagined that there would be someone else in her life that wasn't him. They were supposed to be forever. They were supposed to grow old together and spoil their grandchildren and love each other until the day they died. They weren't supposed to have an expiration date. His blood began to boil as he thought of everything the Company had deprived him of; everything that they had taken from him. He slammed his hands against the wall in frustration, and Sara was at his side in an instant.

She slowly reached out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Michael," she started gently.

He didn't respond, but she could see the pain—the pure agony—that was evident on his face.

And then she kicked it into overdrive. She wrapped her hand around his arm and coerced him to look at her. She cradled his face in her hands and her heart broke when she saw the tears that signified the silent agony he was feeling.

"Michael," she tried again as she wiped the tears that had left their tracks on his face. "Talk to me. Please. Don't shut me out. I can't lose you. Not after I just got you back. Please. I love you."

"Listen," Michael began, his voice hoarse. "I know that you kissed me and told me all of these things because we were caught up in the moment. I know that they may not mean anything to you. And it's okay. I'm not angry with you. You did what you had to do. You thought that I was gone."

Sara recoiled as if she had been slapped, removing her hands from Michael's face.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive manner. "I meant what I said. When I kissed you? Every emotion that I poured into that kiss? That was all real. I have grieved over you. I have mourned you. And I have loved you more every day that I have been without you. So forgive me if I am a little confused by the sudden distance that you've put between us," Sara finished defensively.

"I noticed you're not wearing it."

"Wearing what?"

"Where's your wedding ring?"

"What?" Sara asked, taken aback by his question. It was then she looked down at her naked ring finger and remembered taking it off to cook dinner. She was internally kicking herself for being so careless. How could she forget to put her ring back on? And of all days for her to forget to take it off her necklace and put it on her finger, it would be today—the same day that Michael comes home.

"No Michael, you don't understand. I-" she started but was interrupted by Michael.

"I mean I should have known that this would happen. You're beautiful, inside and out. You're perfect in absolutely every way possible. Any guy would be lucky to have you. I hope he is willing to move mountains for you. I hope is willing to do anything for you; anything at all that would put a smile on your face, even if it was just for a short while. I hope that he worships the ground that you walk on and treats you like the treasure you are. You deserve everything good. You deserve so much joy, and I sincerely hope that he can give it to you. I hope he is good to you. I hope he is good to our son. I hope he cherishes every moment he gets to spend with you. I hope he never takes you for granted. If he feels even half the love that I feel for you, I am satisfied because I know how much love that truly is. I hope he tells you every day how special you are. I hope he reminds you what love is every day.

"I guess I knew that this day would come sooner or later, but I was simply just too naïve to accept that it would happen. I am relieved that you were able to find your safe haven. I am so proud of you for not letting the guilt eat you alive; so proud that you were able to find a single glimmer at the end of the dark tunnel. I am so happy you have found happiness Sara Tancredi, and I hope that I can still be a part of our son's life—of your life."

When Michael finished, both he and Sara had tears streaming down their faces. He wiped his tears first, and the wiped hers, before kissing her on the forehead, letting his lips linger for just half a second longer than what was considered a chastise, friendly kiss.

"Michael," Sara began in a shaky voice.

He shushed her gently. "It's okay," he told her. "I understand. And I love you. I love you enough to let you go."

He kissed her on the forehead, before turning around and walking down the hallway toward the stairs. He didn't know what to do. His head was spinning. He planned to say bye to his brother and then call Mahone to pick him up. He felt broken. He felt hurt. And frankly, he didn't know if he was going to be able to move past this.

"Scofield," Sara called out from behind him.

Michael stopped in his tracks and turned around, shooting her a questioning stare.

"What?" he asked.

"Scofield. My name is Sara Scofield, not Tancredi," she began, slowly making her way closer to where Michael was standing. "It has been since the day I married you on the beach two years ago, and it will be forever. My ring," she paused as she reached around her neck to unhook the clasp of her necklace, "was around my neck. I took it off this morning because I was helping Sophia make the turkey and didn't want to lose it. I do the same thing when I scrub in for surgery. It goes on my necklace with my locket—the locket that has pictures of you and Mikey in it. I put my ring around my neck because I can't stand to be without you, not even for a short surgery. I've never stopped loving you Michael; I never stopped missing you. Not a day went by that I didn't miss you. There is no guy. There's no one that's going to love me more than you do, just like there is no girl that could love you more than I do. Do you hear me Michael? I love you. Not some new guy. You. There's no other guy that I want to tell me how special I am or to cherish me or to love me. That's all your job, mister. Okay? So there is no new guy because you are my only guy."

Michael stared at Sara. He stared at her for what seemed like a long time. And then, he realized what her words meant. He realized that Sara was still his. He realized that Sara had not moved on and that they had a future together. Sara was still his. They could finally be happy.

He closed the gap between them with two long strides, and then he was kissing her. His lips on hers, an endless, aching need for each other. He wasn't sure if this need would ever end. He didn't think that he would ever have enough of this: this kiss, this moment, this…her.

Mikey's cries from his room broke the two apart once again. They both laughed at the irony of the situation. Michael had fought so hard to get back to Sara and his son, and just when they had finally reunited, the only thing that proved to still stand in the way of his alone time with Sara was his son; the same son that he had so desperately tried to return to for the past year and a half.

"Can I?" Michael asked tentatively. "I sort of have a lot of lost time to make up for."

"Of course," Sara smiled. She stood on her toes to kiss him on the lips, before moving out of the way, giving her husband a path to their son's nursery.

Michael walked into Mikey's room and saw him sitting in his crib, arms flailing wildly, and face contorted and red from screaming. He picked up his son and his cries instantly softened and his face instantly relaxed. Michael stared down in awe of the perfection and the beauty that was his son. He didn't know how he got so lucky.

"Hey buddy," Michael said gently. "Remember me? I'm your dad. And I know I haven't been able to be around a lot, but that's all gonna change. I'm gonna be with you forever. I'm not gonna miss out on anything else. I've got a lot of time to make up for, and I plan to cherish every single second I get to have with you. I love you," Michael said softly placing a kiss on Mikey's forehead.

From the doorway Sara looked on proudly. She certainly had a lot to be thankful for this year. Thanksgiving was most definitely her favorite holiday.

A/N: Wowza. What a long chapter. Well I hope you enjoyed the new addition. I really did love writing this chapter. Not to worry my readers. This will not be the end of the story. There is still much more to be resolved, and many more twists and turns ahead for our favorite couple. Over the next couple of weeks I will be busy, but will try to get a few chapters out regardless! You know what reviews do to me, so review, review, review! Thanks for reading and let me know what you think! XOXO