Sitting on the floor, Clara moved to cross her legs underneath her while Lincoln remained stood. Alex had wandered off to the other side of the warehouse, talking to his ex wife. Lincoln had watched the way he had walked off and heard the intensity in his voice. He sounded worried, yet he also sounded determined. He was determined for his family to be with him. Lincoln could understand that. He didn't know what he would risk for a chance to be back with Veronica.

But then he let his gaze wander down as he watched Clara. He saw the woman staring after Alex and he wondered exactly what it was she felt for the man who had ruined so many lives. Lincoln slowly sunk down to crouch beside her, getting a better look at the wide-eyed woman, her mouth agape and her face full of some kind of anguish. Lincoln suspected he knew that look.

"You can do better than him, you know?" Lincoln informed her and Clara's brow furrowed as she turned to look at him and she shook her head.

"It isn't like that," Clara said in a small voice.

"Sure looks like it," he responded. "I'm not blind. I can see how you look at him…how you defend him…"

"He's not a bad person," Clara responded simply. "I know he isn't a bad person…and he's here because of me. He is in this position because of me and that makes all of this worse because he doesn't even hate me. He doesn't even blame me."

Lincoln let his eyebrows furrow together as Clara turned to look back to Alex.

"On the night that I lured Shales out, I…he started to attack me," Clara explained, not knowing if Michael had told his brother this already. "He knocked the gun away from me and started to attack me. I thought that he would kill me, but Alex got there in time. I found the gun again and I wanted to shoot him."

"But you couldn't," Lincoln responded. "He made the choice to shoot him. It is not your fault."

"But if I hadn't have lured him out then he would never have had to make the choice. I was the one who led him to Shales…so this is my fault. If I hadn't gone on TV and done that stupid interview then none of this would have happened. Alex wouldn't be here."

"I don't believe that," Lincoln said with a shake of his head. "Mahone knew what he was doing when he killed Shales."

"Maybe," Clara responded, "but I don't see it like that. All I see is a man who has been forced to do things he didn't want to do for the protection of his family and I understand that. I understand why he has done the things he has done because if my sister had been alive then I would have done the same thing."

Lincoln looked away, not wanting to think about that. The man before him had gone and murdered his father. He had shot his father and Lincoln wanted his revenge for that. He would get it too. He refused to let Alex get away with that. How could he?

"He's still a bad person," Lincoln said, but Clara scoffed.

"There are worse," she responded.

"He chained you to a pipe," Lincoln deadpanned with her. "How can you still defend him after how he has treated you?"

"I know why he did it," Clara said. "And he was right. If I left here then I would have just gone straight to the police and handed myself in…told them everything…and if I did that then it would mean that Alex wouldn't have a chance to escape."

"Surely that tells you the difference between you and Alex?" he suggested to her. "You want to do the right thing."

"And you think he doesn't?"

"He has a funny way of showing it," Lincoln scoffed.

"I think that if The Company didn't have his wife and kid being watched and threatened then he would have turned himself in without a second thought," Clara said and Lincoln shook his head, moving a hand to scratch at the back of his neck as he heard what she had just said, but he couldn't accept it.

If he accepted that then he accepted the fact that Alex Mahone was not a bad man. He remained silent for a few seconds before seeing Clara shift on the floor as Alex continued with his conversation. She let her eyes move back over to him, thinking back to what Lincoln had just said to her. The idea of her even looking lovelorn over Alex Mahone was just ridiculous.

She took in his face then, the way his cheekbones arched and his eyes narrowed in concentration. He was always pushing his hand through his hair, ruffling it to make it look messier than it already did. She could see how he had turned red, no doubt from the constant sun he saw when chasing down the convicts. Perhaps he might be considered handsome, at only eight years older than Clara, he was certainly closer to her age than most men she considered handsome.

He had been kind to her too. Yes, he had said things that had hurt her. He had told her things that had caused her to shudder and have nightmares. He had even dragged her into his business, telling her exactly what he had to do when he could have kept it to himself. He had handled her roughly, grabbing her harshly when she had taken his pills and then again today when she had tried to escape.

But then he had flown all the way from New Mexico when she had been tortured. He had been the one to find her on the floor of her house. He had been the one to pick her up, clean her up, and take her somewhere safe. He had been the one she had ran to when The Company had turned up on her doorstep and demanded for her to go with them. She had literally run to him when she had seen him in the airport. There was a safety that she felt with Alex compared to others.

"Believe me," Lincoln said, snapping her out of her thoughts, "you need to stop protecting him. Do you think he would offer you the same courtesy?"

"Yes," Clara said without skipping a beat. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him…you know when you were captured? Back in New Mexico?"

"Yeah."

"Well do you know why Alex went away while you were locked up?"

"To come back with the convoy," Lincoln said and Clara shook her head at him.

"He came back for me," she said. "When The Company had me tortured for going to New Mexico with him, they told him. They warned him what happened to people who got involved in his business. Alex was the one to jump on a plane and come and find me."

"Probably because he felt guilty," Lincoln said.

"Maybe," Clara said, "but he was the one who came…I just…I know he has done some bad things…but I can't see him like that, Lincoln. I can't see him like that because I have seen what this has done to him."

Lincoln shook his head and turned to look away for a moment. "I don't know whether you're a fool or too trusting."

"Fools usually are too trusting," she responded back to him and he nodded his head at hearing that. "But whatever, as soon as his ex-wife comes here then we'll be heading our separate ways."

"He wants his family here?" Lincoln checked and Clara nodded.

"Everything he has done has been for them," she said. "Why would he not want them back if that was the case? I cannot blame him for that, but even I have to admit it seems foolish, subjecting them to a life on the run is unfair."

"Yeah," Lincoln scoffed, "just a bit…and is that what you want?"

"It doesn't matter about what I want," Clara said. "I just want him to escape this alive…I can fend for myself. I've had to for a while now."

Nodding, Lincoln seemed to understand what she was saying as she inhaled a sharp breath and looked away as Alex made his way back to them. Bending down he uncuffed Clara from the pipe and she grabbed hold of her wrist as he offered her his hand to help her from the floor. She took hold of it and Alex picked her up.

"Bringing your kid and ex down here," Lincoln spoke, "is that such a good idea, man?"

"They're my family," Alex responded before looking to Clara. "Promise me you're not going to leave."

"Promise," she said, wandering around the warehouse and wondering why Alex trusted her so much.

She took a seat on the crate in the corner, folding one leg over the other before leaning forwards, letting her thoughts consume her. Lincoln kept on speaking to Alex as he watched the man turn his head to let his eyes roam over Clara's form.

"You're better off cutting yourself out of their lives," Lincoln said. "Trust me, I know."

"Everything I have done has been for them," Alex said with a shake of his head. "I do everything for them."

"Just like any father would for their kid," Lincoln said with a nod. "I know, man. But I also know I'm better off leaving him to his own life."

Alex said nothing in response, and so Lincoln continued to talk.

"And her?" Lincoln wondered, not bothering to mention how he felt the loosening of the pipe underneath his cuffed hand. Lincoln looked over to Clara as Alex did the same, moving the back of his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Man, she told me everything."

"Did she?" Alex muttered."She has a habit of trying to be pleasant to everyone."

"She knows I'm innocent, anyway, just like you probably do."

"Yeah, so what?"

"But you don't care." Lincoln said. "You don't care about anything other than getting your life back, but does your wife know who you really are?"

"You know what it is like," Alex said, beginning to pace.

"And do you think she will accept you if she knew?" Lincoln asked. "Because I don't think she will. I don't think many people would accept it…but she does…that woman over there accepts it and I've seen the way she looks at you."

Alex frowned at hearing that, turning to look straight at Lincoln as he spoke and Clara remained out of earshot. Alex moved closer to Lincoln as he kept on speaking, his voice low and full of honesty.

"I'd call your ex-wife back and tell her not to come here," Lincoln said. "You're going to ruin her life, and then I'd tell that woman over there that she needs to flee…hell…I'd give her a million of the five million to let her start over and get away from you."

"What were you on about?" Alex demanded, turning the conversation around. "When you said how she looks at me."

"You don't get it, do you?" Lincoln continued. "She tried to deny it, but I don't believe her. She's done nothing but defend your actions since I've met her. She's done nothing but stare at you with those big eyes of hers. What do you think I'm trying to tell you?"

Alex felt his mouth go dry for a moment, gulping as he shook his head. "You're being ridiculous."

"She said the same thing," Lincoln said. "But I know what I saw. I mean, I guess it makes sense…you're the only thing she has, right? No close family…no fiancé…just you."

"Stop talking," Alex demanded and Lincoln shook his head.

"No," he said, "because you've either brainwashed that girl or she's so far gone with what she feels for you that she refuses to do anything other than defend you."

Alex held a warning hand up to silence Lincoln before he turned on his heel, his eyes landing on Clara once more as he watched her sit on the crate, peering out of the window and lost in her own thoughts. Lincoln had no idea what he was talking about. He didn't know Clara. Hell, even Alex sometimes thought he didn't know Clara.

She was a kind woman, Alex knew that, but he never knew what she was thinking. He watched her for another moment, taking in her round face and her long dark hair that fell down her back in a messy ponytail. She was pale, her body small and slim while her face was also slightly gaunt, her lips big and often being chewed on by her teeth.

Shaking his head, Alex knew that Lincoln had no idea what he was talking about. He didn't know Clara. He didn't know anything about her or what her relationship with Alex was. He had met Clara once and now he was telling Alex that he could see the woman was…what…falling for him? Alex would have laughed at him if he had the energy. That was absolutely ludicrous and he knew it.

Yet Alex didn't laugh. He remained silent and contemplative at what he had heard. It had been true that Clara had been on his thoughts for a long time. He had done things he never thought he would have done for her. He had gone out of his way to keep her safe, protect her from any harm. He had done those things for her, yet he had let others die without feeling anything.

He thought that it was because of the bond they shared over Shales. He thought that was why he was doing these things for her, but perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps he did see her as a friend, as someone he wanted to keep safe. Was there anything more there? He doubted it. He had Pam. Pam was the woman he wanted to be with for the rest of his life. He knew that beyond a shadow of doubt.

Yet Lincoln was probably right. Would Pam understand why he had done what he had done? If she knew the truth then she would probably be horrified. Clara knew everything and she understood. She had even been there to comfort him when he struggled to cope. Clara had been there through everything.

"Just keep quiet and get some sleep," Alex demanded from Lincoln after he had wallowed in his thoughts for too long.

Moving over to where Clara was seated, Alex perched on the box besides her, hands between his legs as he felt her look to him.

"Give the brothers half of the money," Clara said and Alex looked at her, wondering what she was doing. "We both know they are innocent in all of this, Alex. Why do you need five million dollars? You can disappear with a fraction of that."

He chuckled at hearing her, shaking his head. "You're too soft," he said.

"And you're not?" Clara wondered back. "I get it, you put on this hard exterior, but I like to think I know the real you. You're not as tough as you like to think."

"I need that money and boat."

"No, you need some of the money," Clara said. "If you want to do the right thing, for once in your life, then let them escape. Let them go and promise them that you won't go after them."

"And Burrows?" Alex wondered from her. "He wants me dead for what I did to his dad."

"You said it yourself," Clara said, "he doesn't have it in him to kill…I should know how he feels. He feels exactly like I did with Theresa."

Alex went mute then as Clara stood up and folded her arms over herself and looked down to him. "If you really want to make amends then just think about it. I know you, Alex. You're not the man people think you are."

She sauntered off again then and Alex saw her find some chair in the corner. She curled herself into it, satchel by her side as she closed her eyes and he wondered if she was going to try to fall asleep. Alex remained where he was; knowing full well that sleep wasn't going to come to him any time soon.

…

Looking onto the dock, Alex waited with patience the following morning for Scofield to appear. Clara was already awake and stood by Burrows, whispering something to him as he seemed to watch her intently. Alex didn't know what time it was before the door opened, creaking loudly and alerting himself to someone's presence.

Stepping back from the window with the gun in his grip, he walked over to the centre of the room, gun raised and aimed directly at Michael Scofield while Clara remained stood where she was.

"Michael, that is a beautiful boat," Alex said.

"Just change the name when you take it," Michael demanded, moving down the steps, dressed in a black zip up jacket, his hands held in the air in defeat as Alex moved over to him. "I don't think my mother would have approved of you."

"Done," Alex said, motioning to where Lincoln was stood.

"Uncuff me," Lincoln demanded as Michael moved further into the room.

Clara walked back as Michael looked to Alex, his face sweaty and his voice low. "So you're going to go back on your word?" Michael asked of Alex and the man shook his head.

"Just put your hands up," Alex said, patting down Michael to make sure he didn't have a weapon on him. "And no, The Company seem to want you alive. I don't know why and I don't care. So where is the money?"

"Just let my brother go," Michael said.

"Not before I get the money," Alex continued.

"You have the boat."

"I want the money," Alex said before he heard his phone begin to ring.

Digging into his pocket, he pulled it out and answered it, still looking between both brothers as he spoke. "I'm in the warehouse…yeah…"

The conversation was short and Clara watched as Alex began to call another number, pressing the phone to his ear as she watched him with intrigue.

"Hello…you speak English? Yes…Miraflores Dock…there's a man…an Asian man and he's been shot…" he hung up without a second thought and looked to Clara.

"I was going to say two Americans had done it, but I left them out," he said, almost as if he was looking for Clara to thank him for doing it. All she could do was roll her eyes at hearing him.

"So you're telling the truth," she said and Alex shrugged.

"Guess so," he said. "Now go out the other door, Clara."

"No," she said with a shake of her head, "not until I get answers."

Michael and Lincoln looked at each other for a second before Alex moved towards them, gun pointed at Michael as his face went wild and hysterical and he yelled:

"Where is the money?"

"Not going to happen," Michael said, hands in his pockets.

"What if we don't take all of it?" Clara was the one to pipe up. "Listen, we all need to get out of here and away from The Company. We just go our separate ways…forget this…no one is going anywhere at this rate."

"He killed my dad," Lincoln said. "He's going nowhere."

Before anyone could do anything, the door opened and Alex backed up as the man spoke. "I am impressed."

Clara said nothing as she went to stand by Lincoln's side and Michael stood next to her. She looked to the man who had just walked in, dressed in a casual suit, hands in his pocket and a slim smirk on his face that Clara wanted to knock off. This man had been the one ordering Alex about. He had been the one to hurt his son. He had been the one to order her torture. She felt the anger course through her, hands balling into fists as she looked at him.

"They're all yours," Alex said, motioning to them.

"No," the man said, looking at them. "This isn't where I wanted them, Alex…and you decided to bring your little girlfriend along too. We heard how she escaped our men and we were impressed. Of course, we had no intention of killing her."

"Why do I not believe that?" Clara snapped this time and the man looked to her. "Who is it you're working for? Who wants to protect me?"

"Someone who seems to care about you," the man simply responded. "Maybe one day you'll find out."

Clara gritted her teeth together as Mahone shook his head.

"They're your problem now. We're going," he said to him.

"Really?" Kim asked back. "You see, I'm not foolish, Alex. I knew I was coming here for a reason."

It was then when Alex turned the gun onto Kim, stepping closer to him as Clara recoiled at the motion and Michael moved towards his brother, stepping around the woman as he nodded to his brother.

"I knew you wanted me here," Kim said. "You want your revenge, Alex."

"After what you did to my son and Clara…yeah…I want revenge. So consider this a double-cross."

"Good plan," Kim said, "but I saw it coming."

It was then when the other doors opened, slamming against the wall behind them. Two more agents entered the room, their guns raised as Alex moved closer to them, his back to Kim as he did his best to work out what to do.

"Great minds think alike, Alex," Kim declared and Alex turned back to him, aiming the gun.

It was then when Lincoln suddenly moved forwards, knocking Clara to the floor as he ducked to hide behind a box and Michael did the same. The first gunshot went and Clara remained on the floor, her hands in front of her as she began to crawl forwards, still hiding behind the boxes Lincoln had shoved her behind. She didn't dare look up, too scared about what she might see or be hit by.

It was then when she felt something on her back and she looked over her shoulder, Alex next to her as he kept his grip on his gun and peered over the crates, shooting at something while Clara remained hidden on the ground.

"I need you to get up," Alex demanded from her. "We're going to run for it."

She couldn't see Michael or Lincoln anywhere, but she knew that they had to get out of the mess they were in. Moving to take hold of her hand, Alex kept hold of her as he dragged her across the warehouse, firing his gun at one of the agents who had been waiting for them to move. Alex moved behind a tall crate, pushing Clara against it to make sure she was safe, his front pressed to hers.

But that wasn't what bothered him. He felt her hand drop from his and he looked down at her as she looked down too. Moving a hand to her side, she pressed there and pulled her hand away, the skin stained in blood. Alex let his eyes widen before he acted with haste, the man who had been shooting coming closer.

Alex leapt out from his hiding spot, grabbing hold of him by the neck and snapping it without a second thought before returning to Clara. She was still leant against the crate as he moved with haste, wrapping an arm around her waist before knocking her from her feet as he carried her out of the warehouse, running as fast as possible towards the boat that Michael had bought.

He climbed into it, tentatively placing Clara down on deck. "It's okay…everything is going to be okay…"

He moved back again, pulling the rope free from the boat and then starting the engine. He felt relief as the engine started straight away and he manoeuvred the boat out of the harbour before coming to the open sea. He knew that he had to dock somewhere else and get Clara to a hospital, but staying there was no option.

As he let the boat bob around, he moved to where he had laid Clara in the middle of the deck. He moved to pick her up once more, listening to her groaning as he sat her up by the wheel so that he could move when he needed to. He kept her in his grip, holding onto her tightly, his arms around her waist as he looked to her wound by her side.

"I need to take a look," Alex said.

"Knock yourself out," Clara urged him and Alex kept her sat up against the step leading down onto the deck.

Moving to kneel by her side, Alex realised there would be no easy way to do this considering she was wearing a dress. Gulping once, Alex motioned to the zip on her back. "I need to unzip it down to your side," he told her.

"Yeah," Clara said, leaning forwards slightly as Alex found the zip on her back.

He pulled it down gently, revealing the scars on her back before he reached forward, tugging the sleeves from her arms and then peeling the dress down. He tried not to notice the black bra she wore or the way her chest heaved as he moved to look at the shot.

Pressing against it, he heard her hiss in pain before nodding his head. "A flesh wound," he told her. "I don't think it's anything else…you're lucky…it just grazed your side."

"It hurts like hell."

"Yeah," Alex nodded, "getting shot isn't a massage."

"Christ," Clara complained as Alex moved into the cabin, finding the first aid box before opening it and searching for something to clean it with. He found some wipes and set about cleaning the blood while Clara remained sat up.

"What now?" she asked from him. "That didn't exactly go to plan."

"Now, we keep moving," Alex told her. "I'll dock further down the coast and we continue to keep going. I need…I need to meet Pam."

"You're still going ahead with that?"

"Yeah," Alex said, not offering her anything more than that. "I think I should also get you to a hospital. I don't think there is any damage, but I'm not a doctor."

"I feel fine…just some pain," Clara said. "I think we would know by now if the damage was serious."

"I'd still feel better getting you in an ambulance," Alex informed her. "Just let me dock and get one…and then we can go again. We can go and get away from this."

"Can we?" Clara wondered from him. "Because if that man is still looking for us then how long will it be before he finds us?"

"It will be too late," Alex promised her in a small voice. "I'm just…I'm just sorry you got shot."

"You and me both," Clara muttered, "but what you said back there…about not framing the brothers to the police…"

"I should have," Alex muttered. "I should have framed them, but I couldn't and do you want to know why, Clara?"

She said nothing as she felt his hand apply a bandage, but he didn't retract his fingers, instead he moved his hands up her waist, his fingers curling around her side as his other hand moved to her cheek, holding it in his fingers before pushing stray wisps of hair behind her ear.

"Because all I could think of was how you'd look at me with disgust," he said, his gaze searching hers, "and for some reason that I don't understand, I couldn't deal with that."

Gulping, Clara nodded, wondering what the hell was going on as she kept on searching his gaze and she almost wanted to do something she might regret. Thankfully he moved first, unsure of what he was doing as he moved to swiftly press his lips against her forehead, his hand moving to cradle the back of her neck as she remained silent, feeling the warmth from his neck as her cheek pressed there. She inhaled his familiar scent of fresh detergent mixed with sweat before closing her eyes and feeling him move away to start the ignition once more.

She watched his back before folding her arms over herself and wondering what the hell had just gone on between them. Lincoln hadn't been right with what he had said. She knew that. He couldn't have been right.

...

A/N: Thanks so much to Evie for reviewing, your review was lovely to read! Do let me know what you think as we move into season 3!