36. Selfless

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.

~ Ambrose Redmoon

As Paul eased the Hummer up the ramp of the circular drop-off area, Michael stared at the office building looming above: the Miami FBI Headquarters. For a moment he wished Todd hadn't taken the deal.

Todd's shoulders burned—he needed out of the damn cuffs. "Well, what're we waiting for?"

From the middle seat, Alex craned his neck around to meet a set of cool blue eyes in the rear. When Michael nodded, Alex unlocked Todd's handcuffs.

"Ohhh." Todd massaged his hands and stretched his shoulders.

"Not so great being cuffed, is it?" Alex offered the handcuffs to Todd.

"Shut up, Mahone." Now free, Todd resumed his authoritative demeanor. "Give back my weapon and phone, and unlock Agent Lang."

Alex followed the third command first, swiveling to face Felicia on his other side. Once he'd freed both agents, he relinquished the handgun and phone to Todd before returning Felicia's phone. When his hand brushed against hers, he noticed her clandestine smile.

Sucre reached over the front seat to give Felicia her weapon. "Here you go." He batted his long eyelashes at her. "No hard feelings?"

"We'll see about that, Fernando. For now, anyway, the deal stipulates that you and Alex go free."

"Speaking of the deal . . ." Todd rotated and climbed on his knees.

In the rear-facing seat, Michael looked at Sara. She seemed to force down a swallow.

Todd said, "Hands behind your head, Scofield."

"No." Sara turned away and stared out the rear window.

Studying her profile, his mouth tightened as he took in every detail of her soft features. "We made a deal, Sara. It'll work out."

She pivoted to meet his gaze. "I don't like this deal."

He hated the look of fear in her eyes, and he smoothed one hand down the side of her head. "I had to. You and Linc will be safe—that's all I ever wanted."

Sara stifled a sob as he leaned in and feathered a kiss on her lips. She shuddered into him, feeling a tear escape from her tightly squeezed eyes.

Despite his irritation from the delay, Todd found himself looking away to give the couple some privacy. It had been that tender between Todd and his wife once. Now, they couldn't be in the same room together.

In the front seat, Sucre also turned away, wringing his hands in his lap. The military training of Paul and Alex made them stare straight ahead.

Finally Michael pulled out of the kiss. He cradled her head with one hand while the other rested on her belly. The next time he could touch her, the baby would likely be born, maybe even grown up . . . without him. Darkness crossed his face. He straightened, scooted forward, and laced his fingers together behind his head.

Without hesitation, Todd took hold of one of one wrist then another to cuff them behind his back.

Michael braced his shoulders so the raw skin on his wrists wouldn't rub against the cuffs. His head dipped—he was a captured criminal once again.

Todd nodded at Felicia, and she said, "Okay, Sara."

Sniffing, Sara swiped her hand across her cheek and then mimicked Michael's actions, moving forward on the seat and clasping her hands behind her head as she looked out the rear window.

It took less than five seconds for Felicia to handcuff her.

When Sara's shoulder touched her husband's, she felt bolstered by his courage. She forced herself to relax so she wouldn't upset the fetus. Michael knew what he was doing. He'd gotten them out of one jam after another, and it wouldn't be fair to question him. Still, so much rested outside of their control.

Todd looked at Paul. "You'll take Scylla to the UN now?"

He'd slipped on his Aviator sunglasses, and his face was a mask of stone. "Yes. We'll be in touch."

Todd turned to Alex. "And you and him—" he tilted his head at Sucre "—get out of here once we leave. There're plenty of agents inside who want to talk to you about Sara's escape."

From the front seat, Sucre frowned. "We can't just take off. It's not right."

Sara peered over her shoulder. "Go to your family, Fernando. We'll be okay."

"But, but I should carry you in there. The baby, Doc. You shouldn't have all this stress."

"We'll take care of it," Todd said. "She'll be fine walking the few feet in there."

"Papi . . ." Sucre's voice softened. "I . . . I'll see you soon, okay?"

Michael nodded. "Be good, Nando."

"Let's go, Lang," said Todd. He stepped out and reveled in his freedom.

As Felicia opened the door on the other side of the vehicle, she felt Alex's hand clasp her wrist. She turned to look into his troubled eyes.

"Be safe, Lish."

"You too," she whispered back. She climbed out and moved to the rear of the vehicle where Todd was making a phone call.

Sara tensed as she waited to be hauled inside the building. "You're quiet," she murmured.

Michael exhaled. "If I open my mouth, I might try to back out of the deal."

She knew he was terrified of super-max and being separated from his family. But he didn't let that stop him from doing everything to protect those he loved.

Sara could only imagine what it had been like for him back when this all began. Back when he'd scooped up two guns on his way to robbing the bank, his gorgeous hands hovering over the weapons before pocketing the tickets to Fox River. The tickets to meeting her.

They'd come so far from that day in the infirmary when she'd asked him if he was scared. He'd refused to answer, giving her only a silent stare. They now told each other their deepest fears, trusting each other like a couple that had been together for years. Only now, they might be separated for years.

She squared her shoulders to try to be as brave as her husband, though she knew she could never reach such heights.

All business now, Todd opened the car door and reached in for Michael's bicep. "Let's go, Scofield."

He winced as he unfolded his long body and stepped out.

Felicia led Sara out of the car next. The agents escorted the prisoners toward the door but stopped when Alex materialized by their side.

"Cuff Sara's hands in front of her," he ordered Felicia. "Agent Wheatley and I will carry her inside."

Felicia hesitated.

Sara shook her head. "Alex, no. You'll be arrested if you go in there."

Alex glanced at Michael, who returned his gaze. Though Michael wouldn't ask for help, Alex knew he was worried about his wife and child. "That's a risk I'll have to take."

"This is ridiculous." Todd rolled his eyes.

"You're afraid you won't be able to handle her weight?" Alex challenged.

"Give me a break." Todd eyed Sara's lean frame. "She'd blow over in a strong wind."

"Yes, but she is tall," Michael said. "And pregnant. I bet she's heavy." That comment earned a glare from his wife but elicited the desired response from Todd.

"Fine," he snapped, yanking the keys out of his pocket and locking Sara's wrists together in the front.

Stepping up to Sara, Alex looked at Todd. "Remember the basket hold they taught us at the Academy?"

"Of course." Todd leaned in to lift Sara's right side while Alex did the same on her left. "I'm surprised they taught the basket hold at the Academy back then. Didn't you spend all your time packing gunpowder into the barrel of your weapon?"

Alex huffed, "Gunpowder? That's way too advanced for my time."

"Thought so." Todd smirked.

Nudged forward by Felicia, Michael gaped at the two agents smiling at each other.

As they headed toward the elevator, a burly blond agent halted once he caught sight of Todd. "Todd-oh! We got half the office out looking for your ass. Why haven't you answered your phone?"

"Hit the up button, Hansen," Todd panted. "And call the other agents in from the field. We obviously have the Scofields in custody."

"'Bout fucking time." He punched the button and lowered his voice. "The director's having a coronary." He shifted into a Ricky Ricardo accent. "You got some 'splainin' to do, Lucy."

"Shit," Todd muttered. "I just left a message for him. Where'd you put Burrows?"

Hansen's eyes widened. "You want me to tell you that in front of his brother?"

"Don't worry." Todd looked at Michael. "Scofield won't break anyone out of here."

The elevator car arrived and Hansen shrugged. "As you like. Burrows is in room three."

"Good." Todd and Alex carried Sara into the elevator, while Michael and Felicia followed.

A couple of minutes later, Lincoln glanced up to find his brother and sister-in-law entering the interrogation room. He tried to stand but was thwarted by the handcuffs restraining him to the chair. "You're okay?" He gave his brother the once-over to make sure he hadn't sustained further injuries. His brow furrowed when he saw Alex and Todd carry Sara to another chair around the table. "What's wrong?"

"I'm all right, Lincoln," Sara answered. "It's just a precaution for the baby."

While Todd and Felicia maneuvered their prisoners into position on the chairs, locking them in place with the handcuffs, Alex stood by idly.

"What're you doing here?" Lincoln asked him.

"He and Sucre and Paul came to the rescue," Michael said.

"No shit? How'd you end up here then, back in custody?"

Michael and Sara exchanged a nervous look.

Todd yanked his thumb toward the door. "Lang, take care of Mahone."

"Let's go, Alex." She tugged at his arm.

Alex's mouth tightened, giving Michael one last glance before he let Felicia lead him out of the room.

"What's going on?" Lincoln demanded.

Sara said, "Michael fixed Scylla."

Lincoln sat up. "Then why're you in cuffs? Kellerman's gonna get you out of here, right?" When Michael didn't respond, Lincoln repeated, "Right?"

"The FBI's not going for it," Michael quietly explained. "They can't let me go. But Todd made a deal with me if I agreed to turn myself in."

Lincoln's stomach clenched. He suspected he knew the kind of deal his brother would make, and Todd approaching him with keys in hand confirmed his suspicion. "No!" Lincoln struggled to block him. "No! I won't allow it!"

"Stop it, Burrows!" Todd squinted. Typically it was a fight to put on the handcuffs, not take them off.

Michael's voice sounded forlorn. "Linc."

"What about Sara?" Lincoln continued to evade Todd's efforts to free him. "You're gonna let her get killed in prison?"

"The charges against Sara have been dropped," Todd said. "Once I confirm it with the DA and my director, she's free."

Lincoln slumped back in his chair with disgust. He glared at his brother. "You've done it again, haven't you? You went and ruined your life, to save me."

Todd took advantage of Lincoln's stupor to unlock the handcuffs. But he regretted it when Lincoln roared off the chair and grabbed Todd by the shoulders.

"How could you let him do this? How could you let him throw away his life like this?"

Michael watched Todd reach for his weapon. "Linc, think about LJ. He needs you."

Pushing Todd aside, Lincoln stalked toward his brother.

Sara thought at first that Lincoln was going to pound him, but instead he clutched the arms of the chair, leaning over Michael and staring him down with stormy eyes. "LJ needs you, you self-sacrificing bastard! I need you! Sara needs you! Did you ever ask me if I wanted you to sacrifice your life for me? Did you?"

Michael's eyes never left his brother's, beholden to his fiery glare. "No."

"Damn right you never asked me! How'd you decide your freedom was worth less than mine? That's bullshit, Michael! And you can't tell me I deserve freedom more than you do because of LJ. You're a father too, now."

Michael swallowed. "Yeah, I'm also a father. Is it so wrong to want my wife and child to be free? To avoid running for the rest of their lives? Is it wrong of me to want my brother to be free?"

"Yes!" Lincoln let go of Michael's chair and spun around, looking for a target for his fury. Todd had taken a few steps away from the big man. When Lincoln cocked his arm and sent his fist crashing into the plastic table, Sara gasped.

Michael flinched. "Linc."

His chest heaving, Lincoln scowled at him. He cradled one hand with the other.

"Do you want me to look at your hand?" Sara asked.

Lincoln shook his head.

She aimed a sardonic look at her husband. "What is it with you brothers and pounding your fists into inanimate objects?"

Lincoln crouched next to Michael, bringing him eye level with his brother. "Could you have gotten away from the feds? When Sucre and Mahone did the carjacking?"

Michael didn't answer him.

"You could've. You could've run. But I was stuck here, so you didn't."

"I already told you I'm not turning Sara and the baby into fugitives."

Looking at Sara's abdomen and then back at his brother, Lincoln grabbed Michael's arm. "I'm not worth you flushing your life down the toilet. I'm an anchor, man."

"No you're not. You're my brother."

"You have a family to think about now," Lincoln went on. "Think about all the amazing stories you'll tell your kid. You'll be to be the type of father our dad never was: someone to look up to."

Michael felt his throat tighten. "I didn't need Dad. I looked up to you."

It was silent in the room as the brothers stared at each other.

Lincoln slowly shook his head. "Then that was your first mistake, dumbass."

One corner of Michael's mouth quirked. "And my second?"

"Falling in love with the prison doctor. I mean really, Michael. Really?"

"I couldn't help it." Michael shrugged. "She was hot."

"I thought you said I was heavy." Sara narrowed her eyes.

"Hot and heavy," Michael conceded, grinning at her.

Todd's phone rang, and he looked at the number. "Okay cons. I think it's time for Burrows to leave."

"Think again," Lincoln said, rising to his feet. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I need to see my director, and I won't leave you here."

Lincoln stood steadfast. "I'm a free man, right? I can do as I please."

Michael frowned. "What about LJ?"

"I'll go to LJ soon, but not before I talk you out of being so stupid."

Todd's phone lit up again. "I gotta talk to my boss. The three of you—don't go anywhere."

Todd jostled down the hallway, ignoring the surprised looks or thumps on the back from fellow agents, and strode past Director Sullens' secretary despite her protests that somebody was already in the office. He walked in to find Paul Kellerman at the director's side, showing him the finer points of Scylla on the laptop computer.

Todd tilted his head. "Did you already get back from the UN?"

"No." Paul stood. "I decided the director needed to see Scylla for himself."

Richard Sullens looked up at his agent. "Scofield fixed this?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you let him fix it, instead of bringing him straight here? That's why I wasted so much manpower trying to find you and Lang?"

Todd chewed on the inside of his cheek. Multiple images flashed through his mind: raising his gaze from Downey's body to meet Michael's startled blue eyes, Michael and Sara's desperate kiss moments ago, Lincoln pleading with his brother to stop sacrificing himself . . .

"No, sir. I didn't let him fix it. Scofield's men overtook me and restrained me."

Richard bolted from his seat. "You allowed yourself to be overpowered? Did they take your weapon?"

"Yes, sir."

"Jesus, Todd. You're lucky to be alive. Is Lang okay?"

"Yes, sir."

"So the criminals had you at gunpoint, and now they're back in custody? How the hell did that happen?"

"I, um, I made a deal with Scofield."

Richard's eyebrows shot up. "You made a deal with Michael Scofield?"

"Yes, sir. Michael agreed to turn himself in if I let his brother and wife go."

Richard paced. "We got nothing from Lincoln Burrows the whole time he's been in here. I don't think we can hold him, anyway. But the doctor—that's another matter. She escaped from prison, Todd."

"Yes, sir. And you and I both know she never should've been in prison in the first place. We know her life was in danger—Scofield had to free her or she would've died."

"That's for the courts to decide. I can't just release her."

"Blue Phillips is already making threats if we don't release her. He knows the DA's ready to drop the case, once the additional evidence came to light. We have to act quickly, sir. You need to talk this over with the DA."

Smoothing one hand across his jaw, Richard paused. "Fine, but I won't make any promises."

Todd nodded.

"Agent Wheatley, I'm very disappointed by your handling of this case. Sounds like the only reason this didn't turn into a complete shitstorm is Scofield's unwavering loyalty to his family. I want a full report before you leave tonight—get working on it now."

"Yes, sir." Todd tensed. "But I'm not done yet."

Richard cocked one eyebrow.

"I want Scofield released, too."

Richard's lips parted, and Paul's gaze snapped up.

Todd me the director's eyes. "When you assigned me this case, why didn't you brief me about the company?"

"Has that corrupt Alex Mahone gotten to you?" Richard had zero respect for the agent he'd investigated in Chicago.

"No, sir, Michael Scofield got to me. Lisa Tabak got to me. Gretchen Morgan, Henry Pope, Ted Downey, Karina Daniels, Sofia Lugo . . . they all got to me. The company tried to assassinate Scofield right in front of me! How can you deny they exist?"

"And how can you excuse Michael Scofield for his crimes, no matter what evidence crops up about this 'company'? He made you look like a damn fool, Todd! He broke his wife out under your watch. He needs to pay for his crimes."

"He already has paid," Paul cut in. "He deserves to go free."

Richard spun around to glare at him.

Paul added, "And the company is real. I know this because I worked for them."

Todd nodded. "Listen to him, Richard. Scofield got wrapped up in a mess way beyond his control when he saved his brother. Yet he did everything he could not to get drawn into the corruption. He did everything he could to help others, including turning over Scylla to the UN and making sure it keeps working. You need to free him."

"How dare you tell me what to do. You're not the one in charge here."

"Go ahead and fire me, then. This job's already ruined my marriage, and I won't let it destroy my integrity as well. Michael Scofield is innocent."

Director Sullens looked from Todd to Paul, stunned by what they'd proposed. After breaking practically every law in the justice system, Michael Scofield would go free?

Author's Note: I'm so grateful for you taking the time to read this story. Hopefully it can tide you over a little until the show is back for realz. SQUEE.